


Great Expectations

by SharkGirl



Series: The NEXT Generation of Miracles [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Adoption, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gay Marriage, M/M, Multi, Pregnancy, Surrogacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-04-04 22:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 65,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4155987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all started when, at the annual GoM get-together, Mursakibara and Himuro announce that they're expecting.  Of course, that gets each couple thinking about what it would be like to have a family of their own.</p><p>Or, "The One Where Everyone Wants a Baby and Everyone Gets One" (one way or another)<br/>(NOTE:  THERE IS NO MPREG)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indevan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indevan/gifts).



> If you've read any of my work, you know that I this is something completely different! (As shown by the rating, haha) - also, I shouldn't write summaries when I'm tired...
> 
> I really wanted my first fic in the KnB fandom to be a hot AoKise. Ah well...I have time.
> 
> This story is a gift~

Seven years had passed since high school graduation and everyone was off doing their own thing.  Some had attended college.  Others had been scouted to play professionally.  And some had been coerced by their boyfriends to do both.

But no matter what they’d been up to, one thing always remained the same.  Every spring, the Generation of Miracles – and their significant others, of course – would meet to catch up.

This year was no different.  And so, they found themselves seated around a large table in one of the great rooms of the Akashi Family’s main house.  Furihata was busying himself by making sure everyone was comfortable and that no one needed anything to eat or drink.  Akashi insisted that his boyfriend sit down and let the help take care of their guests, but Seirin’s ex-Point Guard wouldn’t listen.

Aomine had made some snide remark about how Akashi couldn’t control ‘his woman,’ which immediately elicited a smack to the back of his head from Kise.

“Aominecchi, behave yourself,” the blond frowned at his boyfriend.

“I don’t know who you think you’re trying to impress,” he frowned back at him and then gave a toothy grin.

“You haven’t changed, Aomine-kun,” Kuroko suddenly appeared right next to them.  Or had he been there the entire time?

“Ah, Kurokocchi!” Kise knocked his boyfriend over and reached forward, gripping the shorter man’s hands tightly.  “I’m so glad you and Kagamicchi could make it here from L.A.,” he sang.  Aomine grumbled and rubbed his head as he sat back up, prying the blond away from his ex-shadow.

“Yo Tetsu,” he greeted and then turned toward the tall, dual-toned redhead seated next to him.  “Sup, Kagami?” he waved.  “How’s your team shaping up?”

“Pretty well, I’d say,” Kagami lifted one split eyebrow, “good enough to kick your team’s ass.”

Both Aomine and Kagami had been scouted to play on teams in the U.S.  Kagami for a large and rather popular team in Los Angeles and Aomine for one based out of New York.  Kise was always travelling for work, but he kept his home-base in Manhattan.  The long-distance thing had been hard for both couples.  So, once Kuroko graduated from college, he moved out to California to live with his boyfriend.  Well, husband now.

“Ah, let me see that ring!” Kise fawned and knocked his boyfriend over again.

“Kiseee…” Aomine growled from the floor, but the blond ignored him.

“It’s beautiful,” he gushed.  “Kagamicchi has good taste,” golden eyes looked up at the taller man, who blushed and looked away. 

“It’s just a simple band, Kise-kun,” Kuroko stared up at him.

“But don’t you see?” Kise held the other’s hands in his own again.  “It’s precisely its simplicity that gives it its classic beauty.”  By this time, Aomine had pushed himself back up onto his zabuton cushion.  Tanned hands reached up to strangle his boyfriend, but he ceased his movements when someone cleared their throat from the other side of the table.

“Thank you all for coming,” Akashi smiled at his guests.  “I know it was difficult for some of you to make the necessary arrangements to travel so far from your homes.”

“But Sei, didn’t you buy everyone’s plane tickets?” Furihata whispered. The redhead waved his hand in dismissal and the brunette smiled.

“Dinner will be served in a few minutes, but before that,” he paused looking over their tallest ex-teammate.  “Atsushi has an announcement to make.”  Akashi took his seat and Furihata followed suit.  Murasakibara stood up and, realizing just how much he towered over everyone sitting on the floor, he decided to sit back down.  He cleared his throat.

“Uh, Muro-chin and I-”

“We’re going to have a baby!” Himuro announced excitedly.

The entire room was silent.

The silence dragged on for a bit longer than either man had anticipated.

“What I mean to say is,” Himuro continued, “Atsushi’s sister agreed to be our surrogate and we just found out this morning that she’s five weeks pregnant.”

“That’s wonderful,” Akashi was the first to speak.  “Congratulations, you two.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Takao beamed.  “She should definitely use my darling doctor husband for her prenatal care, right, Shin-chan?”

“Takao,” the green-haired man adjusted his glasses.  “That is not my field of expertise and I’m sure that Atsumi-san will be moving to California to live with them.”

“How exciting!” Momoi clasped her hands together.  “You two are going to make great parents!”

“Well, we’re certainly going to try,” Himuro ducked his head and blushed.

“Please give my regards to your sister,” she added with a smile.

“So,” Kise was already across the table.  “Who’s the father?” he asked, excitedly.  Himuro raised his eyebrows and Mursakibara looked at him in disgust. 

“Kise…” Aomine began, having caught up to theblond.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Kise giggled and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.  “ _Whom’s_ the father?”

Back on the other side of the table, Kuroko watched the scene with a small smile.

“How wonderful for them,” he said, but his husband did not respond.  “Kagami-kun?”  He turned and saw that Kagami was frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth agape.  “Kagami-kun?”  A thousand worries went through Kuroko’s head for a moment before the taller man broke his silence.

“I’m going to be an uncle,” he said in awe.  Then a huge smile broke out on his face.  He turned toward Kuroko, shining brighter than usual.  “I’m going to be an uncle!”  Kuroko let out a breath and smiled back at him.

The rest of dinner went well.  They all shared their current goings on and what they had planned for the future.  But the main topic was baby names directed toward the expecting parents.

It had gotten pretty late and, because Akashi wouldn’t have his guests staying in some hotel, he offered everyone a room for the night.

“Good night,” Takao waved as he half-dragged Midorima into their room.  The rest of the party heard a grunt and Takao shouting, “But Shin-chan, I wanna make a baby!” before the door closed rather loudly.

“Those two are kind of disgusting,” Aomine shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“I think it’s a nice idea,” Kuroko said.

“Here’s our room,” Himuro interrupted.  “See you all in the morning.”  Murasakibara mumbled something after him and then followed his husband into the room.

“So, what’s a nice idea?” Aomine asked when it was just the four of them.

“Making a baby,” Kuroko responded.  “I mean, I know it’s impossible for a man to conceive, but the thought of having Kagami-kun’s baby is pleasant.”

“Kuroko…” the redhead looked down at him, eyes hooded.  He leaned down and Kuroko stood up on his toes.

“Ugh, will you two get a room?” Aomine gagged and rolled his eyes.  The shorter man turned to face him with a slight frown.

“Yes, I believe we have one,” Kuroko said.  “This one is ours,”   he opened the next door on their left and started to walk in.

“It’s not such a bad thought,” Kagami said to them.

“Kagami-kun?” Kuroko beckoned from the doorway.

“Anyway, good night,” he waved and followed his husband into the room.

“Man, it’s like this whole house has baby fever,” Aomine shook his head.  Kise hadn’t spoken the entire walk.  “You’re awfully quiet.”

“Oh,” the blond turned and flashed a smile, albeit rather weaker than usual.  “I was just thinking.”

“What about?” he asked, opening the last door.  Kise pushed him inside and shut the door behind them, crowding his boyfriend against the dark wood.

“You,” he purred.


	2. The Case of AoKise

Aomine sat with his back against the headboard, the thin, white sheets of the bed doing little to conceal his nudity.  He stretched his arms over his head and let one fall to wrap around Kise’s shoulders.

“So, not to say that wasn’t a fantastic distraction,” he began, “but would you like to tell me what’s bothering you now?”

“Aominecchi could always see through me, huh?” the blond smiled, but continued to stare at the stark white sheets pooled around his waist.  “I was just thinking…”

“I thought I smelled smoke,” his boyfriend teased.

“Ugh, never mind,” Kise pulled away from him and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Sorry, sorry, go ahead,” Aomine held his hands up in defense.

“Well,” he opened one eye to look over at him.  “I was just thinking about what Kurokocchi said.”

“Yeah?” navy eyes looked wary.

“Yeah, I mean,” Kise turned back toward him.  “It’s wonderful that Murasakibaracchi’s sister would do something so wonderful for him,” he gave a small smile.  “My sisters would never do something like that for us.”

The ‘us’ hadn’t escaped Aomine’s notice.

“I mean, they’d complain about it ruining their careers,” he sighed.  They were silent for a moment.  “And…” Kise bit his lip.  “After what Kurokocchi said, I got to thinking that it would be really nice if I could have a baby,” he paused, “Aominecchi’s and mine.”

“Are you an idiot?” the navy-haired man knocked on the blond’s head and then flopped down so his head was cradled in Kise’s lap.

“Well, you don’t have to be a dick about it,” Kise frowned down at him.

“But I think it’s contagious,” Aomine said quietly.  Kise blinked in confusion.

“What is?”

“Your idiocy,” he answered.  The blond opened his mouth to retort, but Aomine moved to rest a tanned hand on the pale skin of Kise’s stomach.  He looked at him with a serious expression before he sighed.  “Don’t cry, Kise…”

“I’m not,” he lied and put a hand over his mouth.  Aomine sat up and grabbed his wrist, moving the hand away and replacing it with his lips.  He pulled back and rested his forehead against his boyfriend’s.

“Idiot,” he breathed and Kise started crying again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, I love AoKise so much!! I want to write more about them.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next room's reaction~


	3. The Case of KagaKuro

“I’m going to be an uncle...”  Kagami hummed happily as he folded his arms behind his head, pillowing it with his hands.  He felt a small, surprisingly still cool, hand come to rest on his chest.

“I hope that’s not what you were thinking about the whole time, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko teased, a light blush tinting his cheeks.  Kagami moved one of his arms to wrap around his husband, pulling him close and feeling the length of his body pressed against his, skin to skin.

“No,” he gave a toothy grin, “you had my mind otherwise occupied.”  Kuroko gave a small smile and burrowed closer, resting his head on Kagami’s shoulder.  “And,” the taller man added, his deep voice causing his chest to rumble against Kuroko’s ear.  “We’ve been married over a month now,” he craned his neck to look down at his husband.  “Don’t you think you should call me by my first name?”

“That’s…” Kuroko ducked his head in embarrassment.  Kagami liked when he could get any kind of reaction out of the normally stoic man.

“I know you have your traditional Japanese hang-ups, but I would like you to say my name,” he rubbed small, soothing circles on Kuroko’s naked back, “At least when we’re alone.”

“I suppose I could give it a try,” the shorter man pulled back a bit so he could look up at his husband.  “Taiga-kun.”

“Halfway there,” the redhead chuckled, “Tetsuya.”  Now Kuroko’s face was bright red.  “After what we just finished doing… _that_ is what has you blushing?”  Kagami shook his head, but he was smiling.

“Anyway,” Kuroko changed the subject.  “Uncle, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s still hard to believe,” the redhead sighed happily.  “I can’t imagine Tatsuya as a father.”  He laughed.  “And can you picture Murasakibara changing a diaper?”

“Still…” the shorter man’s eyes were downcast.  “How wonderful it would be.”  They were silent for a moment, both lost in thought.

“It’s a shame we’re only children,” Kagami mused.

“What?” Kuroko was a little confused by his wording.

“I mean,” the larger man turned onto his side to face his husband.  “It’s a shame that we don’t have any siblings,” he continued.  “Murasakibara’s sister is able to carry their child and, because of that, the baby will look like both of them.”

“That is true,” Kuroko bit his lip.

“And,” Kagami went on.  “We aren’t really close enough to any girls either.”

“Our ex-coach-” the shorter man started, but Kagami cut him off immediately.

“There’s no way Kiyoshi-senpai and Hyuuga-senpai would let us near her.”

“True,” Kuroko chewed his lower lip in thought.  “What about Alex-san?”

“No way,” Kagami sat up and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Even if she wanted to, she’s a little too old for something like that, don’t you think?”

Thousands of miles away in a small apartment in Los Angeles a bespectacled blonde woman sneezed.  She looked around, blinking in confusion, before she felt an inexplicable and uncontrollable urge to punch her youngest protégé in the face. 

“Well, I suppose that only leaves us one option,” Kuroko looked up, blue eyes boring into his husband.  They both took a deep breath.

“Think she’d do it?” Kagami asked.

“Only one way to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, now who could that be? Still have to check in with a few more of our boys, but don't worry, she'll get her chapter.


	4. The Case of MidoTaka

“Absolutely not.”

“Aww, c’mon, Shin-chan,” Takao whined and pouted.

“I cannot, will not.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” the dark-haired man argued.

“She doesn’t need that kind of stress,” Midorima adjusted his glasses. A nervous habit.

“It’s not like we’d be asking her to do it right away…”

“Maki is busy with her studies,” the green-haired man frowned.

 “And, again, it’s not like we’d be asking her to have the baby this year,” Takao sat back on his heels and crossed his arms over his chest.  “I’m just saying that it wouldn’t hurt to ask her.”

“Even if we did ask her,” he paused when he saw his husband’s face light up.  “I said _if_ ,” he stressed the word.  “There’s no guarantee that Maki would want to do it.”

“You never know,” the shorter man grinned.  “Your little sister loves her Kazu-nii-san, after all.”

“Yes, but does she love you enough to put her body through all of that stress and pain?” Midorima sure had a way with words.  Takao’s face fell.  The ex-Shutoku ace felt bad.  He took a deep breath and finally voiced his main concern.  “Besides,” he waited for Takao to look up at him.  “She has a boyfriend now.”

“Oh…” the dark-haired man lowered his gaze again.  “I didn’t realize Maki-chan had someone…”  He fake sniffled, putting a hand to his head and throwing it back dramatically.  “And to think, she promised she’d marry me when she was old enough.”

“You’re already married to me, Kazu,” the green-haired man ground his teeth together, rubbing his temples.  Takao stopped his act and scooched closer to his husband.

“Yes, and as your lovely wife, I have but one favor to ask, My Sweet Honey,” silvery blue eyes sparkled and Midorima immediately felt a sense of foreboding.  Takao cupped the taller man’s face and pulled him closer, so their noses almost touched.  “Let's make a baby,” he breathed and kissed him.  The bespectacled man didn’t have a chance to respond.  Takao deepened the kiss and fell back onto the pillows, pulling his husband down on top of him.

“Kazu…” Midorima gasped for air as they pulled apart.  “You don’t have the necessary hardware,” he glanced down for a moment and then back up.

“My husband is resourceful,” Takao wrapped his arms around Midorma’s neck and touched their foreheads together.  “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”  Midorima looked thoughtful just then, clever eyes glancing over to the side.  “Shin-chan?”

“There is one person we could ask…”

“My little sister is still a first year,” Takao commented, trying to read his husband’s mind.

“No, there’s someone else,” Midorima looked back at Takao and brushed his thumb lovingly over the shorter man’s cheek.  “I have to grant my lovely wife’s favor, right?”  Takao’s face turned bright red.

“S-seriously, Shin-chan?”  He stuttered, eyes wide with embarrassment.  “You chose this moment to be deredere?”  Takao ducked his head and hid his face in his husband’s chest.  He felt more than heard the deep rumbling before he pulled back and stared up, disbelieving.  “Are you _laughing_ at me?”

“Sorry,” Midorima kissed his forehead.  “Even I like to tease the one I love.”

“You’re an evil mastermind,” Takao shook his head.

“But I am serious,” green eyes softened.  “We’ll invite her out and ‘pop the question,’ so to speak.”  The shorter man smiled.

“Thank you, Shin-chan,” he giggled as he drew his knee up, placing it between his husband’s legs.  “And, necessary hardware or no…” he trailed off suggestively, biting his lower lip.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm trash. Haha. But, hey, I added two chapters. Yay me! I hope indevan likes this~ ^^
> 
> Although I made her name up, the first character “Ma” in Maki uses the same kanji as “Shin” in Shintarou: 真
> 
> About the "deredere" bit. Midorima is a "tsundere" character: "a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time." Being "deredere" means he's only showing his warm, sweet side.
> 
> Now, who could Midorima have in mind...?


	5. The Case of AkaFuri

“What a nice reunion,” Furihata sang to himself as he gathered a few more dessert plates and placed them on a small silver cart.

“Kouki, if you keep that up, the service staff is going to get bored and leave,” Akashi sighed.

“I don’t mind,” the brunet turned and smiled.  “It’s nice to help out every once in a while.”

“This is one of _those_ situations isn’t it?” the redhead asked, knowing full-well just how stubborn and determined the slightly shorter man could be.

“Yes,” Furihata beamed and Akashi held his hands up in defeat.  “What a surprise, huh?” the brunet went on, wiping his brow after setting a particularly large pile of dishes on the lower shelf of the cart.  “How exciting for Murasakibara-san and Himuro-san.”

“Yes, it came as quite a shock to me as well,” Akashi walked over and reached for a few of the forks still strewn about the large table.  Furihata smacked his hand lightly and tutted.

“No way am I letting Young Master Akashi get his hands dirty cleaning up,” he shook his head and grabbed the forks.

“Honestly, you have a double-standard here, Kouki,” crimson eyes flashed, but were ignored.

“Your father would have me drawn and quartered if he found out that I let you clean up after your party,” Furihata said matter-of-factly.  He finished clearing the table and only the tablecloth was left.  “You can really tell where Murasakibara-san was sitting,” he giggled, pointing to a giant pile of crumbs.

“Kouki,” Akashi was suddenly right behind him, arms coming to wrap around his waist.  “I didn’t realize their announcement would be so,” he paused, searching for the right word, “monumental.”

“It’s fine,” the brunet shrugged, eyes downcast.  “We can just tell them another time.”

“But tonight was going to be our engagement party,” the redhead sighed and buried his face in his fiancé’s hair, taking a deep breath.

“Sei, we can always just send out photos from our honeymoon,” Furihata chuckled, gripping the end of the tablecloth.  Akashi’s hands came down to close over his, slackening his grip on the cloth.  “I just wish your father wasn’t completely against the idea…”

“Kouki…”

“You know how I feel about lavish affairs,” he frowned slightly, turning around to face his fiancé.

“You’ll have to forgive my father for not wanting his only child to run off and elope,” Akashi brushed their lips together, hoping to erase the frown.

“But did you see the guest list he came up with?” Furihata lamented and rested his forehead on Akashi’s shoulder.  “Your family has no concept of ‘small scale’…”

“You should have seen the first draft of the rehearsal dinner menu,” Akashi chuckled.  “He was so upset that the venue wouldn’t allow four hundred live quails to lay fresh eggs for the house-made Caesar salad dressing…”

“He’s out of control, Sei,” the brunet shook his head.

“Just let him do this one thing,” Akashi brushed Furihata’s bangs to the side and kissed his forehead.  “This is the first I’ve seen him happy in years.”

“Well, that’s good to hear, at least,” Furihata brought his arms up to wrap around his fiancé’s neck.

“In fact, only one thing could make him happier…” the redhead trailed off, looking to the side for a moment.

“Oh?”  Chocolate orbs looked up into crimson.  “What’s that?”

“Grandchildren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be a nice (semi)twist to have Akashi's father not be a complete jerk. I feel like, after seeing his son lose for the first time all those years ago, maybe his "Winning-is-everything-I'm-a-cold-and-distant-prick" personality would change. Plus, can't you picture him getting all excited for his son's wedding? And, maybe it's because the new season of JR just came out, but I feel like every Akashi family member would be attracted to Furihata (Misaki-style) Haha. Ah, anyway...
> 
> Okay, so this is the last "couple check-in" chapter. Sorry the chapters have been so short, but they're meant to be a quick glimpse into the relationships. The next chapter is the one I've been (not very patiently waiting for and) wanting to write. Hopefully it'll be one you all will enjoy reading. ^^


	6. The Case of Momoi Satsuki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, right? ^^
> 
> Man, this got long...
> 
> Again, no beta, so please forgive me for any typos. I re-read it, but I always miss something...

Momoi Satsuki was always being told how lucky she was.  Ever since middle school…

_“Wow, you and Aomine-kun are childhood friends?  How lucky!  He’s SO handsome!”_

_“You’re friends with Kise Ryouta, the famous model?  He’s so unbelievably sexy!!  LUCKY!”_

_“You know THE Akashi Seijuurou?  And you’re lucky enough to go to club activities with him every day?”_

_“Satcchan, you’re always surrounded by handsome men, I’m so jealous of how lucky you are!  You could have your pick~”_

_“You could probably get together with any of them!  Super lucky!!”_

“Yeah, lucky my foot,” the pink-haired woman sighed to herself as she walked down the street.  It’s not that she wasn’t happy for her friends, because she most certainly was.  It was just kind of frustrating that all of her closest relations were either happily married or on their way there.  “So, no, Acchan I can’t ‘get together’ with any of them because they’re all,” she paused, arms gesticulating in every direction, “together!”

“Mommy, that lady is talking to herself,” she heard a young child’s voice and turned.

“Just keep walking and don’t make eye contact, Miki-chan,” the woman, who looked no older than Momoi, grabbed her child’s hand and dragged her through the crosswalk and to the other side of the street.  Momoi sighed again and continued walking.

It wasn’t so bad.  Sure, all of her friends were paired off, but it’s not like they completely ignored her.  In fact, just the other day, after their annual reunion, not one, but two of her ex-classmates invited her out on her day off.  She was on her way to lunch with one now.  Suddenly, her phone rang.  She checked the caller ID and swiped the screen to answer.

“Oh, hi, Tetsu-kun,” she sang.  “I’m almost there,” she checked the street sign to make sure she was heading in the right direction.  “I’m not late am I?” she looked down at her watch, but saw that she had another ten minutes before their scheduled meeting time.  Kuroko’s voice sounded strange, almost breathless.  If Momoi didn’t know any better, she’d say he sounded nervous.  “I should be there in about five minutes,” she said and then hung up the phone.

Less than five minutes later she stood in front of a fancy little café, complete with a host stand a velvet rope.  She double checked the directions in the text that Kuroko had sent her.  This was indeed the place. 

Although it wasn’t strange for her friends to invite her out to lunch or to get ice cream, it was usually something fast and cheap, like Maji.  A place this fancy was unusual.

“Ah, Momoi-san?” a tall man appeared from behind the host stand.  “Your party has already arrived,” he removed the clip and held the velvet rope to the side.  “Please come this way.”

Okay, this was seriously strange. Momoi gawked as she was led to the dining room.  The restaurant looked like something out of the Akashi main house.  And, although she was used to such extravagancies, this was not what she was expecting when Kuroko had invited her out to lunch.

“Kagami-san, your guest has arrived,” the man said, showing her to a booth in the corner.  Momoi gripped the strap of her purse nervously and glanced down at her totally much-too-casual attire before walking toward the table.  True to the host’s word, Kagami and Kuroko were already seated.  They sat on one side of the both, which left the other side completely empty for her. 

“Thank you for coming to meet with us, Momoi-san,” Kuroko said in his usual soft voice.  She nodded dumbly and took a seat. It was then that she noticed that both Kuroko and Kagami were wearing suits.  Kuroko looked as though he’d wandered out of Akashi’s closet and Kagami, who looked uncomfortable and kept pulling at his collar, actually cleaned up pretty well.

“So…” Momoi picked up the glass of water from in front of her and took a sip, if, for nothing else, just to give her something to do.  “This place is…uh…” she looked around.  “Not what I was expecting for a casual lunch between friends.”

“Ah, well, you see,” Kuroko began, but he was interrupted by their waiter.

“Kagami-san, I see your guest has arrived,” he smiled and clasped his hands together.  “May I take your orders now?”

“Yes, of course,” Kuroko looked at the menu and ordered something Momoi had never heard of before.  She quickly glanced at his eyes to make sure he was, in fact, Kuroko and not Akashi in a wig.  Kagami stared at the menu and scratched his head.

“Uh…anything with a lot of meat?” he raised one split eyebrow.

“Ah, for that I would recommend the Hachis Parmentier,” the waiter folded his hands behind his back and wait expectantly.

“Um…yeah…sure,” Kagami blinked and handed him his menu.  Momoi was glad she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t used to this sort of place.

“And for you, Miss?”  Suddenly all eyes were on her.  She took a quick glance at the menu and chewed her bottom lip.  She’d heard of some of these dishes, but there were no prices.  She quickly did the math in her head:  The shoes she just bought yesterday, rent, the estimated cost of her utilities, plus that cute jacket she’d had her eye on for a while.  She wasn’t sure she could afford anything here.

“Please order whatever you’d like, Momoi-san,” Kuroko’s soft voice broke her from her thoughts.  “It’s our treat,” he gave a gentle smile and Momoi felt herself relax.  She turned to the waiter and asked for his suggestion.  She agreed to the first thing he offered and the man took her menu and bowed before walking away.

“So…” she tried again.    “This certainly isn’t Maji Burger.” She gave an awkward giggle.

“Tell me about it,” Kagami pulled at his collar again, only to have Kuroko swat his hand away.

“So, what made you decide to treat me to lunch?”  ‘Here, of all places,’ she finished in her head.

“Well, you see, Momoi-san,” Kuroko cleared his throat.  “Kagami-kun-” he began, but his husband cleared his throat rather loudly.  “Ah, that is, Taiga-kun and I,” he corrected, “have been talking quite a bit about Murasakibara-kun’s announcement at the reunion.”

“Oh yes!”  Momoi brightened.  “Isn’t that the best news?” she beamed.  “How selfless of Mukkun’s sister to carry their child for them.”

“Yes, about that-”

“I mean, can you imagine?” she rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand.  “Giving up nearly a year of your life to nurture a child that you don’t even get to keep?”

“Um, well, you see-”

“Going through morning sickness and the aches and pains and, oh,” her magenta eyes widened, “not to mention hours of labor and then the birth itself!”  The men across from her were silent, staring blankly back at her.  “Oh, sorry, I got a bit carried away just now,” she giggled.  “What was it that you wanted to say, Tetsu-kun?”  She blinked at them expectantly.

“Uh…” Kagami began and looked over at his husband for assistance.

“We were wondering if you would do us the honor of being a surrogate for our child,” Kuroko’s blue eyes never wavered.  “Kagami-kun’s and mine.”

Momoi stared straight ahead.  She heard what Kuroko had said, but it wasn’t processing quite right.  She blinked slowly.

“Well, technically it would be either Tetsuya’s or mine,” Kagami offered.  “But half of it would be yours,” he went on.  “Unless we purchase an egg from a donor.”

“Oh, there is that option,” Kuroko responded, but their voices were drifting further and further away.  Momoi didn’t realize she wasn’t breathing until she gasped when her hand slipped out from under her chin and her face nearly hit the table.

“Momoi, are you alright?” Kagami was already halfway standing, reaching out for her.

“Oh, sorry, I’m-” she was looking everywhere, but at the men in front of her.  “Um, that’s, you see,” she swallowed and finally looked up at them.  “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“We know what we’re asking is no small favor,” Kuroko reached across the table and grabbed her hand, his thumb slowly stroking her skin.  “We would pay for all of the procedures and every prenatal visit,” he went on.  “We would make sure that you had everything you needed.”

“That’s,” she pulled her hand back and ignored the look of hurt in Kuroko’s eyes.  “I’ll have to think about it,” she said as she stood up.

“Momoi-san-”

“I’ll see you two later, I’m, um, going to be late for an appointment,” she bowed and started to walk away.

“But you haven’t eaten yet,” the shorter man frowned up at her.

“I’m not hungry,” she called over her shoulder as she rounded the corner, desperate to get out of the restaurant.  Soon, she was beyond the velvet rope and host stand and back on the street. 

“Be their surrogate?”  She thought aloud.  She swallowed nervously and looked down at her watch.  She hadn’t lied about having another appointment, but she was in no way running late.  “Their surrogate…” she repeated and walked past the entrance to the train station.  She had a few hours to get where she was going and she needed a nice, long walk.

Three hours later, Momoi found herself seated on a bench in front of the entrance to the zoo.  She still wasn’t over the shock of what Kuroko and Kagami had asked of her, but she had calmed down quite a bit.  Which was good because it was nearly time for-

“Momo-chan!” Takao waved at her as he ran across the paved walkway toward her bench.

“Ta-chan!” she stood up and waved back.

“Sorry we’re a few minutes late,” he grasped her hands in his.  “Someone just _had_ to avoid trains today,” he rolled his eyes.

“Oha Asa ranked Cancer at number 12,” Midorima appeared, holding a stuffed panda in his left hand.  “I couldn’t very well risk a train derailment.”

“Yeah, right,” Takao turned away from his husband and back toward Momoi.  “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Oh no, I just got here myself,” she lied.

“Good,” the dark-haired man grinned.  “Now, c’mon, I heard that the new tropical frog exhibit just opened,” he released her hands and motioned for her to follow him.  “Frogs are Shin-chan’s favorite!” he called and snickered when Midorima’s face flushed.

Frogs…  She heaved a sigh.  It had to be frogs.

But they never made it to the exhibit.  Instead, when they walked into the main area of the zoo, a greeter handing out guide maps distracted them.

“Oh, hello there,” he waved and handed them each a map.  “Are you a panda fan?” he asked Midorima, eyeing the stuffed bear.

“He sure is!” Takao grinned and slung an arm around his husband’s shoulders.

“Well, I’ve got great news,” the cheery greeter chirped.  “Two pandas from China have just arrived in our Eastern Asian Pavilion.”  He opened a map and pointed to the location.  “They’ve only just arrived,” he added.  “We haven’t even started advertising it yet.”

“How lucky!” Takao thanked the guide and grabbed Midorima’s and Momoi’s hands, pulling them forward toward the pandas.  Momoi was glad.  She never did care for frogs thanks to a certain ganguro childhood friend of hers that will remain unnamed.

The greeter had been right about the pandas having only just arrived.  The pavilion was still being painted, but they were allowed to enter, being directed to walk under some scaffolding.  Inside there was a giant wall of glass that showed a large expanse of greenery.  They were hard to see at first, but Takao was determined.

“I see one!”  He exclaimed, pointing toward a large patch of bamboo.  Momoi squinted and spotted the black and white bear.  “He’s so cute, Shin-chan!”  He dragged his husband closer to the enclosure.  “I want one,” he pouted, pressing his nose against the glass.

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to take one home,” a woman in a polo and cargo shorts came up behind them.  She was wearing a matching khaki hat and an official-looking nametag that read ‘Zookeeper’ at the bottom.  “But,” she added cheerfully, “Hopefully the two we have will become more soon.”

“Oh?” Momoi cocked her head to the side.

“These pandas are visiting from China to see our fertility specialist,” the zookeeper explained.  “We’re hoping that the two will mate and help increase their numbers.”

“I see,” Takao’s silvery blue eyes were wide with awe.  “Baby pandas,” he beamed at his husband.  “How cute,” he added softly.  Momoi furrowed her brow and looked over at the two.  They seemed to share a silent conversation before they both turned toward her.  “Momo-chan,” Takao began.

“If you’re done viewing the pandas, we’d like to have a word with you,” Midorima finished for him.  Momoi felt the sudden change in the atmosphere.  They both looked so serious.  Even the childish gleam in Takao’s eyes had dulled a bit.

“Of course,” she frowned slightly.  They turned to walk away and she followed them, a thousand thoughts running through her head. 

Were they alright?  Was their marriage okay?  Was one of them sick?  Did something happen?

“Momoi,” Midorima turned toward her and motioned for her to sit on a bench outside.  The zoo wasn’t particularly busy today, but this area was especially private, hidden under a canopy of trees.  She nodded and took a seat.  Takao was shifting his weight from foot to foot before he decided to sit on the bench opposite hers.  Midormi joined him, setting his lucky panda down next to him.

The silence was driving her crazy.  She wanted to know why the usually bubbly Takao seemed so morose now.  No, he wasn’t morose, she realized.  He looked down, but more so, he looked…nervous.

“Momo-chan…” he cleared his throat.

“How about those pandas, huh?” she held a finger up.  “They’re so cute and soon they might have a baby,” she gave a nervous laugh.  “Isn’t that adorable?”

“Momo-chan,” Takao tried again.  Momoi was scared.  “Thanks for coming out with us today,” the dark-haired man smiled, the gleam returning to those silvery blue eyes of his.  Momoi let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, no problem,” she grinned.  “But you guys scared me,” she blushed a bit, playing with the hem of her skirt.  “You both got so serious, I thought maybe someone was dying or something.”  The two exchanged glances.  “I was wrong, right?”

“Well, yes,” Midorima adjusted his glasses.  “No one is dying,” he looked at his husband and then back at her.  “Um, we were hoping for quite the opposite, actually.”

“The opposite?”  Alarm bells should have been going off in Momoi’s head, but she wanted so badly to hear what they had to say.  Damn her morbid curiosity.

“Remember the other day at the reunion,” Takao took over, “when Murasakibara-san and his husband made their announcement?”

Now the alarms were going off.

“Well, Shin-chan and I, you see, we,” he paused, biting his lower lip, “we’ve decided that maybe it’s time for us to start trying for a baby.”

“Oh, what great news!”  Magenta eyes started scanning the area for the best possible escape route.  “I’m so happy for you two,” she stood up and waved.  “I wish you both the best of luck, but you see I really must be-”

“Momoi,” the green-haired man interrupted her.  “Kazu and I were wondering if you would carry our child for us.”

What did she look like?  A walking womb?

“Uh…” her eye twitched.  “Well, you see, you’re actually the second couple to proposition me today,” she admitted, hoping that this would end the discussion.

“Second?” Takao raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Tetsu-kun and Kagamin just asked me the very same thing over lunch,” she let out an awkward laugh.  “Well, I really must be going, so-”

“Can they offer you the proper medical care?” Midorima asked, brows drawn down.

“What?”

“What about creature comforts?”  The bespectacled man continued.  “Takao is willing to take leave from his work to ensure that you won’t have to lift a finger during the entire pregnancy.”

“But I haven’t agreed to-”

“And we’ll pay your bills so you won’t have to work either,” Takao offered.

Momoi suddenly felt terrible for that panda.

Well, she was sure as Hell not going to breed in captivity.

“I thank you for your invitation to the zoo,” Momoi turned away from them.  “This is certainly something I need some time to think about,” she didn’t look back.  “I had fun,” she added as she walked away as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Has the entire world gone insane?!” Momoi screamed to herself as she rushed out of the zoo, ignoring the vender offering her a free balloon.  “Has everyone come down with a case of baby fever?” she wondered, pace slowing as she got farther from the zoo.  She took a deep breath and sighed.  She wanted to help her friends.  It must be hard to want to have a child with someone and to not be physically able.

“But that doesn’t mean you should ask the closest person with a cervix,” she lamented.  She looked up at the sky.  It had steadily grown darker the farther from the zoo she got.  There were thick, gray clouds overhead.  A storm was on its way.  “At least my apartment is only a few stops from here,” she said and started walking toward the nearest train station.  That was, until she heard someone call her name.

“Momoi!”  She turned toward the source of the voice.  There was a black limousine pulled over next the sidewalk, a tinted window partially rolled down.  “I thought that was you,” the window slid down the rest of the way to reveal a crop of red hair and crimson eyes.

“Akashi-kun?” she blinked in surprise, walking over to the sleek, black car.  “What are you doing in Tokyo?” she asked.

“Well, I was here on business, but we decided to stay an extra day and go shopping,” he moved to the side to reveal Furihata and a giant pile of boxes and gift bags.

“Hello Momoi-san,” the brunet greeted.

“Hi Furi-kun,” she smiled at him.  Just then, thunder rumbled above them.  She looked up and saw that the sky had gotten even darker.  “Well, it was good to see you, but I should hurry to the train station.”

“Nonsense,” Akashi shook his head.  “We’ll give you a ride,” he offered, opening the door.  Momoi was about to object, but another thunder clap convinced her otherwise.  Just as she stepped into the car and sat down on the supple leather seat, the sky opened up, pelting the roof of the limousine.

“Thank you for the ride,” she smiled at the happy couple.

“Think nothing of it,” the redhead waved his hand in dismissal.  “Just tell my driver your address and we’ll head there straight away.”  She did as she was told and then turned back toward them.

“Thanks again,” she buckled her seatbelt and felt the limo begin to move.  They took a turn just a little too sharply and one of the gift bags fell over, spilling its contents onto the floor of the car.  Furihata immediately reached down and began to pick up the items.  “Here, let me help,” Momoi offered.  She picked up a few things and noticed a theme.

Pacifiers, onesies and the cutest little pair of socks.

“Presents,” Furihata explained.

“Are all of these for Mukkun and Himuro-san?” she gaped, looking at the giant pile of blue and pink-colored gifts.

“Well, most of them are,” Akashi said.  “But some of them are for us,” he gave a small smile and Furihata blushed next to him.

“Oh, you two, you’re...?” Momoi grinned.  “Congratulations!”

“Well, not yet we aren’t,” Furihata chuckled.  “Just planning ahead.”

“No harm in getting things prepared early,” Akashi agreed.  “Speaking of which,” he began as the car pulled to a stop for a red light.  “Momoi, we were wondering, would you-”  But Momoi was out of the car and into the rain before he could finish his question.  She absently heard the two men calling after her, but she was not about to get caught in another awkward baby mama proposal.

She took off down the sidewalk, recognizing a street sign.  She was only a few blocks from home.  When she felt like she was far enough away from the limo, she slowed down, not caring that she was getting soaked.

In hindsight, she wasn’t even sure if Akashi and Furihata were even going to ask that of her.  Akashi was rich, after all.  He could probably just hire someone from a service.  But, once bitten…or, in her case, twice bitten…

She was, in a way, honored that her friends had chosen her.  Then again, she wasn’t aware of any other females with whom they regularly came in contact.  Kuroko and Kagami had no siblings and Midorima’s and Takao’s sisters were much too young to be considered for such a thing.

Momoi wondered how someone else in her situation would have reacted.  Would they have been scared?  Would they have been worried more about their own body than their friends’ happiness?  Was she being selfish?  Murasakibara’s sister was giving her brother this amazing gift.  Why was Momoi so opposed to giving it to her friends?

Maybe it was because they weren’t family.  Despite spending the majority of her teenage years swearing that she loved Kuroko, she never truly did.  She liked him, of course.  She liked him a lot.  But it wasn’t enough for such a favor.  And Midorima, despite his cold exterior, had always treated her kindly.  But she didn’t love him either.

She sighed as her apartment building came into view.  It was already dark out.  The rain had reduced to a drizzle, but she was already drenched.  She didn’t want to soak the carpet in the main lobby, so she fished through her purse for her cardkey as she approached the side entrance.  She paused for a second, catching sight of a dark figure next to the door.  She’d recognize that silhouette anywhere.

“Dai-chan,” she studied him as she drew closer.  The streetlamp next to them buzzed and then sparked to life, illuminating his tan face.  He was just as soaked as she was, his clothes clinging to his body as he leaned against the side of the building, his hands in his pockets.

“Satsuki,” Aomine offered her a weak smile.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, noticing the red rimming his eyes.  “Did something happen?”  She looked around.  “Where’s Ki-chan?”

“Kise doesn’t know I’m here,” he stated, eyes downcast.  “I…I just needed to talk.”

“Well, come inside,” she walked over to the door and slid her keycard, unlocking it.  Aomine followed her in and up the stairs to the third floor.  They didn’t speak as they walked, the only sounds coming from their soggy shoes against the concrete steps.  She unlocked her door and they walked inside.  “So,” she offered him a seat on the couch, but he declined, choosing instead to stand.  “What happened?”

“For the first time,” he swallowed, “Kise wants something that I can’t give him.”  Momoi waited for him to finish, busying herself with making them two mugs of hot chocolate.  They were quiet for a moment.  The silence was broken by the beeping of the microwave.  Momoi took one of the mugs out and walked over to Aomine, carefully handing it to him.  “And Satsuki,” he breathed, staring into the liquid chocolate, “I want it, too.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Mukkun’s announcement at the reunion, would it?” she asked.  Aomine looked up at her with wide eyes.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“Let’s just say it’s a popular subject,” she shrugged and sat down on the faux leather couch, not caring if it got wet.  “So Ki-chan wants a baby?”

“Yeah…” Aomine finally took a seat.  He set the mug on the coffee table.  “I don’t know what to do,” he sighed.  “I want to make him happy, but I don’t even know where to start.”

“Well, shouldn’t you start by finding a suitable surrogate to carry your child?” she asked, sipping her cocoa.  He scrubbed his face with his hand.

“Damn, you’re right,” he bemoaned.  “The whole walk over I was thinking about which one of us would put his career on hold to stay at home with the baby and how we were going to pay for them to go to college,” he gave a lazy chuckle.  “I didn’t really think about the mechanics.”

“Well,” Momoi scooched closer and put a hand over his.  “What about me?”  He turned to face her, navy eyes wide.

“Satsuki, I couldn’t ask that-”

“You’re not asking,” she said simply, setting her mug down on the coffee table.  “I’m offering.”

“You do know what you’re offering, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she smiled.  “I do.”

It’s funny how anything can seem unimaginable until you love someone enough to imagine it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesy ending is cheesy. But I do so love the brother-sister-like relationship between Momoi and Aomine.
> 
> This is technically the end, but I plan on writing a bonus chapter after this featuring our favorite Seirin OT3.
> 
> EDIT: Actually, I lied about this being the end. I forgot that I have to sent KagaKuro and AoKise home (they live in America, after all) I'll have a few more couple-centric chapters. This story got away from me, haha.


	7. Bonus KiyoHyuuRiko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a poly-amorous relationship in which three people are in love with each other. If this sort of thing isn't your bag, please feel free to skip it. (But it's super cute tbh and it would be your loss, haha)
> 
> I really wanted to write this. I don't know why...but this OT3 is just too cute!!
> 
> I will return to the main story line in the next chapter.

“I’m pregnant.”

Well, perhaps it’s best to start at the beginning.

The three of them had always been a thing.  Even during those long months when Kiyoshi had travelled to America for surgery, they had stayed close.  It was always the three of them.  Always.

Of course, after graduation, Hyuuga had stayed behind to help his father at the barbershop, while Kiyoshi and Riko went off to college.  But, due to his grandparents failing health, Kiyoshi left school and came home.  A few months later, Riko transferred to a smaller, local school.

It was only a matter of time before the three moved in together.  Riko’s father had been completely against it, going as far as camping out in front of the apartment building and writing murderous messages in the condensation on the windows of Hyuuga and Kiyoshi’s rooms.  But, after some time, Aida Kagetora accepted his daughter’s living situation.

So, it went without saying that she didn’t tell her father when the three of them started dating.

Now, Riko had dated Kiyoshi. Then, Hyuuga had dated Riko.  After that, Kiyoshi had dated Hyuuga.  They were happy, but it always felt like something was missing.  It just didn’t sit right with any of them to leave the other out.

They’d been living together for just over a year when Riko had brought it up.  At the time, no one was officially dating anyone.  Hyuuga had flushed bright crimson at her suggestion, looking to Kiyoshi for help.  Kiyoshi, on the other hand, gave a soft smile - the one that always made both Riko and Hyuuga melt - before saying, ‘Why not?’

It took two whole weeks for the first ‘I love you’ to be uttered.  Hyuuga hadn’t even done anything spectacular.  He just happened to be at the convenience store and saw that the dorayaki were on sale.  He knew they were Kiyoshi’s favorite, after all.  The big lug at pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace and let loose those three little words.  Hyuuga had flushed bright red and demanded that he be put down immediately.  Riko had just come into the kitchen when Kiyoshi set their bespectacled boyfriend down, whispered those words again and kissed him.  She smiled and walked over, joining in.  Nearly fifteen minutes passed before Hyuuga, with a face rivaling a tomato’s in color, said those words, too.

Three months into their relationship, they started to get intimate.  They’d been lazing on the couch on one of those rare days when all three of them were off.  The movie they were watching wasn’t particularly interesting, but Hyuuga seemed to find it so.  Kiyoshi looked over the top of the shorter man’s head and made eye contact with Riko.  To this day, no one can be completely sure, but it seemed as though the two brunettes had developed a momentary ability to communicate via telepathy.  Twenty embarrassing minutes later, all three were undressed.

Sex between the three of them had come naturally, after that first awkward time on the couch, of course.  They were all very vocal about their needs, even the reluctant and often flustered Hyuuga, and each was open to the others’ suggestions.  Love was freely taken and given.  They were happy.

When it comes to preventing pregnancy, condoms have a ninety-eight percent success rate.  And they used a lot of condoms.  Still, five years into their relationship, Riko found herself staring at the positive test in her hand with brown eyes wide.  Slowly she turned toward the sink where seven other tests stared back at her, each with their two pink lines mocking her in their positivity.

“Riko, we’re home!” she heard Kiyoshi call.  He and Hyuuga had gone grocery shopping to get ingredients, which she was not allowed to touch, to make a special dinner celebrating their fifth anniversary.  Ah, what perfect timing.  “Riko?” he called again, sounding worried.

“Be out in a minute,” she answered, picking up the small trash bin from the floor and using her arm to sweep all of the tests off the counter and into it.  She set it down, squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

“Ah, there you are,” Kiyoshi smiled at her.  “I was starting to get…” he trailed off when he saw the look on her face.

“Did you ask her how spicy she wants her curry?” Hyuuga’s voice drifted in from the kitchen.  “Hey!” he poked his head out.  “Will one of you answer…me…?”  Kiyoshi was silent.  It was never good when Kiyoshi was silent.  Hyuuga wiped his hands on his apron and walked into the living room.

“What is it?” Kiyoshi asked Riko, face showing concern.

“I…” she swallowed.  “We need to talk.”  Kiyoshi and Hyuuga exchanged glances and then nodded.  Riko took another deep breath.  “I’m pregnant.”  Both men were silent, frozen in their places.  She thought for a moment that perhaps they hadn’t heard her.  “I’m pregnant,” she reiterated.  Still nothing, but blank stares.  “We’re going to have a baby?” she offered, raising an eyebrow.  That seemed to break them from their catatonic states.

“Riko, are you serious?”  Hyuuga’s eyes were wide.  “Well, of course you are.  This is a serious subject.  You wouldn’t joke about something like that.  This is big.  This is terrifying.  I,” he paused, looking at her.  “You need to be sitting down!”  He crossed over to her and grabbed her elbow, pulling her toward the couch, where he gently, but forcefully, sat her down.  “You need to keep your strength up!” he said far too loudly, considering their proximity.  “I’m going to go boil some water!  Kiyoshi, you get some towels!” he ordered and ran into the kitchen.

Riko blinked a few times before sighing and turning toward Kiyoshi.

“At least you’re taking this well,” she gave a weak smile, but he didn’t respond.  “Teppei?”  He was rooted to the spot, eyes unblinking.  Riko heard a crash from the kitchen and winced.  She reached up and tugged on the hem of Kiyoshi’s shirt.  “Teppei?”  He slumped onto the couch next to her, heavy enough that she was nearly airborne for a second.  “Um…” she tried.

Slowly, his shocked face morphed.  His eyes softened and his slack jaw drew closed, is lips pulling into that gentle, heart-melting smile.

“Teppei?” Riko was worried for his mental health.  Another crash was heard from the kitchen, followed by a curse and then the sound of running water.  Kiyoshi’s deep voice drew her attention back to him.

“I’m going to be a father…” he said, eyes slipping closed and grin widening.  Riko shook her head, but she was smiling.  At least he wasn’t upset.  Hyuuga walked back into the room, looking a little worse for the wear.

“Realized you got a little ahead of yourself, did you?” Riko raised her brows. 

“Uh, yeah,” Hyuuga cleared his throat awkwardly, his face flushed pink.  He walked over and joined them on the couch, sitting on Riko’s other side.  “This is huge,” he admitted.

“I know,” Riko reached for both of their hands and laced their fingers, giving a squeeze.  That finally broke Kiyoshi out of his reverie.  “A baby…” she said, looking down at their joined hands.

“A baby…” Hyuuga swallowed nervously and brought his free hand to her stomach, hovering hesitantly before Kiyoshi’s larger hand covered his and they held her together.

“A baby,” Kiyoshi leaned down and kissed the top of her head.  Hyuuga kissed her cheek and rested his forehead against her temple.

The three of them had always been a thing.  The only difference now was there were four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now back to the main story and couples~


	8. The Sendoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you’re not having the Kagamis' child and you’re not having ours…” the green-haired man had raised his voice just a little too loud.
> 
> “Whose child will you be having?” Takao and Kuroko asked at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I was totally writing something else and I sent it to indevan for their thoughts (They liked it!) and I asked if I should write more and their response was, "I want you to update Great Expectations." Haha. So, here it is.
> 
> Sorry for the wait. m(U_U)m

A week had passed since the reunion at the Akashi main house and, after spending some quality time with family and friends, it was time for those who were L.A.-bound to head home on their return flight.  As usual, Akashi, Furihata, and Momoi were there to bid them farewell, but this time Midorima and Takao were there to join in on the sendoff.

“Please take care of yourselves,” Akashi said to Murasakibara and Himuro.  “I’ll go ahead and book everyone’s flights for the baby shower as soon as you set a date.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” Himuro said, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Aka-chin is going to do it anyway,” Murasakibara mumbled with a mouth full of potato chips.  “S’better not to argue.”

“And do give your sister my regards, will you?” the redhead asked, seemingly ignoring them.  “I trust she arrived safely in Los Angeles?”

“Yes, thank you,” Himuro answered.  “She’s staying with Alex until we return.”  With unpracticed grace, the dark-haired man bowed to Akashi and Furihata.  When he noticed that his husband wasn’t joining him, he elbowed him in the side.  It was _his_ country’s culture, after all.  “What are you staring at?” 

“That.”  Murasakibara slowly lifted his arm and pointed a finger at the tense situation to their left, near the security checkpoint.  Kuroko and Kagami were on one side and Midorima and Takao were on the other, leaving a very uncomfortable-looking Momoi in the middle.  “What’s with Momo-chin?”  Akashi and Furihata exchanged glances.

“We’re not sure,” the brunet answered.  “We haven’t seen Momoi-san since she ran out of the limousine the other day.”

“I was just about to ask her if she’d heard anything about your baby shower yet,” Akashi drew his brows down, “and then she ran off like a startled fawn.”  The redhead smiled fondly.  “It was kind of nostalgic,” he looked at his fiancé, “Right, Kouki?”  The brunet flushed and frowned at him, embarrassed.

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Himuro mused.

“Momoi-san,” Kuroko cleared his throat.  “It’s been a few days,” he looked down and then back up at her.  Kagami stepped forward and put a hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“Have you thought about it?” the taller man asked.  “About what we asked?”

“Um…I…” the pink-haired woman chewed on her bottom lip.  She took a deep breath and met their eyes, gaze unwavering.  “Testu-kun, Kagamin,” she began.  “I’m truly sorry, but I am unable to grant you this favor.”

“We thought so,” Kuroko sighed, but he tried to force a smile.  “Thank you for giving it some thought.”

“It was a lot to ask,” Kagami nodded, equally subdued.

“It’s not that I’m completely against the idea,” Momoi offered, feeling guilty.  “It’s just that,” she swallowed.  “There’s someone else who I-”

“Really, Momo-chan?” Takao beamed.  “You chose us?”

“Though I am a bit biased, I think you made the correct choice,” Midorima adjusted his glasses, hiding a small smile.

“Oh, no Midorin, Ta-chan, I didn’t-”

“This is going to be great!” Takao reached out a grasped her hands in his.  “I wonder what cravings we’ll have,” he giggled.

“Kazu, it doesn’t work that way,” the bespectacled man shook his head.

“Uh, no, you see,” Momoi pulled her hands back and looked away from the couple’s inquisitive gazes.  “I can’t do it for you either.”

“I’m failing to understand,” Midorima frowned.  By this time, Akashi and the others had made their way over.

“What’s going on over here?” Furihata asked in the most cheerful voice he could manage, hoping to ease some of the tension.

“If you’re not having the Kagamis' child and you’re not having ours…” the green-haired man had raised his voice just a little too loud.

“Whose child will you be having?” Takao and Kuroko asked at the same time.

“Well, I-”

“Sorry we’re late!” a voice called from the ticketing area.  They all turned and saw Kise waving happily with a grumpy Aomine trailing behind him.  “You know how hard it is to wake Aominecchi,” he covered his mouth and side-eyed his boyfriend.

“Our flight isn’t for another four hours,” the navy-haired man lamented.

“Yes, but I didn’t want to miss Kurokocchi’s send-off,” the blond pouted.  “Oh,” he turned toward the group, “and the rest of yours, as well,” he added awkwardly.  Then golden eyes blinked in confusion at the tense atmosphere.  “Um…is everything okay?”

“Sure thing!” Momoi ran forward and hugged them both.  “We were just talking about Akashi-kun’s big announcement,” she turned toward the redhead, “right?”

“Oh,” crimson eyes widened for a moment before glancing over at the brunet next to him.  “I’d nearly forgotten,” he smiled.

“We were sort of interrupted at the reunion,” Furihata added.  Murasakibara and Himuro, who must have already known what the announcement was about, smiled sheepishly.

“We haven’t set a date yet, but Kouki and I-”

“Wait a second,” Midorima interrupted, looking at Aomine, Kise, and then Momoi, putting the pieces together.  “You mean to tell us that you’re going to be a surrogate for their baby?”

 “They’re the last people I would have expected to want a baby,” Kagami noted, Kuroko nodded beside him. 

“But, Momo-chan, Aomine and Kise aren’t even married!” Takao added, eyes wide.

“Well,” the blond looked over at Aomine and then turned back to the group.  “After Aominecchi told me what he’d talked to Momocchi about,” he bit his lip, trying to contain his excitement.  He held up his left hand and nearly squealed.  “He proposed!”

“Congratulations!” Kagami cheered.

“I see, if it’s Aomine-kun, then,” Kuroko gave his trademark soft smile.

“I suppose it can’t be helped, given your relationship,” Midorima added.

“So you’ve finally decided to join the club, huh?” Takao grinned.  “You may have beaten us to a surrogate, but there’s no way you’re going to have a baby first, right, Shin-chan?”

“It’s not a race, Kazu,” the green-haired man adjusted his glasses, “but you’re not wrong.”

“Hey, maybe we’ll have a wedding-day baby!” Kise offered.

“That’s not a thing, babe,” Aomine shook his head with a smile.

“Like the two of you could even wait nine months to tie the knot,” Momoi added with a laugh.

“Looks like you missed your chance again,” Himuro looked at Akashi and Furihata apologetically.

“Oh well,” Furihata shrugged his shoulders, “Guess we’ll just have to elope, after all.”

“Nice try,” Akashi wrapped an arm around the brunet’s waist and pulled him close.  “We’re meeting Dad at the florist this afternoon.”  Furihata sighed.

“Have a safe flight!” Momoi waved as the Murasakibaras and Kagamis walked through security.  “Well, you still have a few hours before your flight,” she turned toward Aomine and Kise, “Want to get lunch?”

“Sounds good, Mama,” Kise smiled.

“Don’t start with that,” the pink-haired woman put her hands on her hips.

“Stingy,” the blond pouted.  “Midorimacchi, Takaocchi, want to join us?”

“No, thank you,” Midorima turned away.

“We’ve got work this evening,” Takao explained and then added, “Shin-chan is too shy, but he’s very happy for you.”

“Don’t speak for me,” the bespectacled man groused.  Takao laughed and steered his husband toward the exit.

“See you guys later!” the dark-haired man waved as they walked through the glass doors.

“What about you two?” Aomine asked.

“We’d love to, but Kouki and I are meeting my father,” Akashi answered.  The other three exchanged glances when they noticed just how tightly the redhead was gripping the brunet’s waist.  “Come, Kouki,” he said sweetly.

‘Help me,’ Furihata mouthed over his shoulder as he was dragged out of the airport.

“Thanks again,” Kise turned to Momoi.  “You have no idea what an amazing gift this is and how much it means.”

“I have an idea,” the pink-haired woman smiled.  “I just hope that, when we do this, the baby ends up being yours,” she said to Kise.

“What’s wrong with the baby being mine?” Aomine drew his brows down in confusion.

“Oh, nothing,” Momoi answered airily.  “It’s just that,” she began, “I know how you were as a child and I wouldn’t wish that on either of you.”

“Momochi…” Kise swallowed uncomfortably.

“Then why am I even giving mine?” the navy-haired man pouted.  “If you want to have Kise’s baby so bad…”

“She’s having _our_ baby, Aominecchi,” the blond corrected.  “And it doesn’t matter if it ends up being mine or yours, because it will be _ours_.”

“It would just be better if it was his,” Momoi crossed her arms over her chest as Aomine clenched his fists at his sides.

“Uh…weren’t we going to lunch?” Kise offered weakly.

“I bet Kise was a bratty child,” Aomine argued, ignoring his fiancé.

“He may have been a brat, but I bet he was beautiful,” Momoi threw back.

“Guys…” the blond felt the vein on his forehead throb.

“Beauty with no brains,” the navy-haired man countered.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Remedial Lessons,” she spat.

“Guys…” Kise tried again, a little louder.

“I only failed two classes my senior year,” Aomine shouted.

“Ooh, only two,” Momoi clasped her hands in front of her.  “You’re right, I hope the baby gets your brilliant mind, after all,” she said sarcastically.

“Guys!” Kise roared and the two turned toward him with eyes wide.  “Lunch!”

“Wow, they really do get moody when they’re expecting, don’t they?” Aomine looked to his childhood friend with brows raised.

“Oh my, you’re right,” Momoi agreed.  “Come, Ki-chan,” she wrapped her hands around his arm and pulled him along, “All that stress can’t be good for the baby.”

“You two…” Kise sighed and let himself be dragged to lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor AkaFuri...denied again.
> 
> I guess I'm going to keep writing this, hehe. It'll probably just be little snapshots, though. But, goodness knows, I can't do anything halfway.
> 
> BONUS: THE NAMES...
> 
> When asked why he took Kagami's surname, Kuroko replied that he would happily accept anything Kagami-kun gave to him.
> 
> When Himuro was asked the same question regarding Murasakibara, he replied with a laugh, stating that he enjoyed when people couldn't spell or pronounce it correctly at appointments.


	9. Wedding Planning I - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm liking this future, baby-filled universe too much not to continue~ I have a few chapters in mind, but I'm also taking requests. indevan has already made two, which will be coming soon.

Furihata and Akashi did not share a bedroom.  It just wouldn’t be proper for an unwed couple to do so.  Even though they were engaged and had been dating exclusively since college, they did not share a room.  In fact, Akashi’s bedroom was on the other end of the long hallway in the living quarters of the Akashi main house.

So, you can imagine his surprise when the brunet woke up with an arm around his waist and warm breath against his neck.  He opened bleary eyes and turned toward his bedmate.

“Sei…” he croaked, voice raspy with sleep.  “You forgot to go back to your room again last night,” he rubbed an eye with his free hand.  The other was trapped between them.  “You need to go back,” he nudged the redhead, who just groaned in response and nuzzled further into his neck.  “Sei…”

“Don’t wanna,” Akashi drew his brows down, his arm tightening its hold around the brunet’s waist.  Furihata sighed and rolled his eyes.  Akashi, despite having the funds to acquire anything he might want, was a truly selfless and giving person.  There was only one thing he was greedy about.

“You’d better hurry up and get back to your room before anyone notices you’re missing,” Furihata urged.  Akashi shook his head, eyes still closed.  “Why didn’t you go back last night?”  At that, crimson eyes opened slowly and looked up at him.

“You wore me out,” he answered, voice low and gravelly, a slow almost predatory smile appearing on the other man’s face.  Furihata felt a rush of heat that started in his face, panged in his chest and then settled to pool in his stomach.  Sometimes a sleepy Seijuurou was the most appealing.  Especially when he was referring to the previous night’s activities.

“Is th-that s-so?” the brunet swallowed.  “You should g-go back to your b-bed and get some rest then,” he offered, averting his eyes.

“Kouki, you know I can’t go back to sleep once I’m up,” Akashi purred.  The double-meaning stirred something within Furihata.  He bit his lower lip, chocolate eyes dilating as he looked down at his lover.

“It’s almost time for breakfast,” the brunet tried one last time.  “There’s not enough time.”

“And I do so love a challenge,” crimson eyes flashed and Furihata could have sworn he saw a glimmer of gold in one eye before his fiancé disappeared beneath the covers.  He’d barely felt the touch of soft lips on his chest when he heard a knock at the door.

“ _Sei!_ ” he whispered harshly, but the other man seemed to ignore him, continuing to lavish his sensitive skin with attention.  “ _Sei!_ ” he tried again.  Then there was another knock.

“Kouki?” the voice on the other side of the door was slightly muffled, but he recognized it.  It was his future father-in-law.  “May I speak with you?”

“Uh,” Furihata cleared his throat and tried desperately the push his lover away from him.  “Sure, l-lemme j-just-” but it was too late.  The door was already opening.  Furihata felt the redhead freeze beneath the sheets, as if he finally realized the severity of the situation.  The brunet quickly pulled the duvet cover over him before the door opened completely.

“Good morning, Kouki,” the current head of the Akashi household greeted him.

“G-Good morning, Akashi-san,” the brunet gave an awkward wave from the bed.

“I know it’s a bit early, but I thought we could discuss our plans for the day,” the older man walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.  At that moment Furihata felt every bit of his nudity, despite his body being covered.

“Um s-sure,” he swallowed nervously, desperately trying to ignore the feel of his lover’s body, equally naked and very nearly molded to his side.

“Since the florist we visited yesterday didn’t have enough ornamental birdcages, I went ahead and scheduled appointments with several other flower shops in the Kanto region,” he explained.  “After that, we have a luncheon at the banquet hall where we’ll be offered a sampling of the hors d'oeuvres we picked for the rehearsal dinner.”

“I see,” Furihata nodded awkwardly.  He jumped slightly when he felt his fiancé bite the inside of his thigh to stifle a laugh.  Furihata was _glad_ his lover found this so funny.  But the older Akashi didn’t seem to notice, at least.

“After lunch, we’ll head to the first bakery to get an idea of what kind of cake you’d like,” he said.  “Once we decide on a flavor, we can compare it to the other six bakeries on my list.”

“Um, Akashi-san,” the brunet uncomfortably scratched his cheek with a finger.  “You don’t really have to go through all this trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all!” the older man smiled and leaned over, resting his hand dangerously close to where his son was currently residing.  “Nothing is too good for my only son’s adorable fiancé,” he practically beamed.  “Now, after the cake, it’s off to the tailor’s,” he continued.

“It seems like you’ve got the day pretty well packed,” Furihata knew he shouldn’t have been surprised.  Like father, like son.  Neither could do anything halfway.  And, just like his son, the older Akashi continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted.

“Do you plan on wearing a suit or something more traditional?” he asked.

“I, uh, haven’t decided,” the brunet could feel his fiancé’s breath hot against his stomach.  It was probably getting pretty stifling under that duvet cover.  ‘ _Good_ ,’ he thought for moment, but then he felt a bit guilty.  He needed to get his lover some fresh air.  “But, with everything you’ve planned, we should probably get ready.”

“Yes, of course!” the older man stood up and clapped his hands.  “The staff is expecting us for breakfast,” he adjusted his tie and walked toward the door.  “I’ll see you downstairs, Kouki,” he said.

“Yes, Sir,” Furihata gave a sigh a relief, which he felt Akashi echo against his skin.  But before the older man had made it out of the room, he turned back, a knowing smile, which was all too familiar to Furihata, breaking out on his face.

“You, too, Seijuurou,” he added and, ignoring Furihata’s shocked expression, left the room and closed the door.  The brunet covered his face with his hands.  Akashi threw the duvet off and looked toward the door.

“When do you think he realized I was in here?” crimson eyes studied the dark wood paneling.

“Probably around the time you bit me,” came Furihata’s deadpan response.  It seemed like he was getting used to the Akashi family.  Though, he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe~ There will be a second part (or maybe more) to Wedding Planning. AkaFuri is so cute, I just can't begin to even. Just imagine the awkward breakfast that follows this, haha.
> 
> I may skip around, so the following drabble-esque chappies may not be in chronological order. I really want to write the AoKise in the fertility clinic, oh my goodness. But I'll do my best!


	10. The Fertility Clinic - AoKise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We jumped forward in time a bit with this one.
> 
> Just know that I do research before every story I write. From how characters refer to each other, to what kind of flooring a room has (Is someone being pushed down onto carpet or hardwood?) These things are important! So, of course, I googled what they have inside those little rooms, hehe.

Kise was staring straight forward, a small plastic-wrapped cup gripped tightly in one hand.  He was seated in a slightly-worn upholstered chair, the kind often seen in the hallways of college buildings, complete with a small desk attached.  Every so often, golden eyes would slide over to glance at the manila envelopes stacked on the small shelf next to the chair, their labels a stark contrasting black and white with bold print.

‘Heterosexual’  ‘Homosexual’

He looked away from them again, choosing to focus on the small hand sink in the corner.  He knew he needed to do this.  He knew that Aomine was right outside in the lobby, waiting for Kise to finish so he could take his turn.  He also knew that, over ten thousand kilometers away, Momoi was regularly sitting in a much larger, sterile room undergoing tests far more invasive than this.

All he had to do was produce a sample.  It was easy.  He’d been doing it since middle school, right?

But he was having trouble…rising to the occasion, so to speak.

He spent a few more minutes staring at the sink before he stood up and cracked the door open. 

“Aominecchi…” he hissed, trying to get his husband’s attention.  The tanned man looked over at him and then stood up quickly, dropping the pamphlet he’d been reading.  Maybe Kise wasn’t the only nervous one, after all.

“Are you done?” Aomine asked, walking over.  Kise shook his head, still not opening the door more than a few centimeters.  “What’s wrong?”  Kise mumbled something, but Aomine couldn’t quite hear him.  “What?"

“I can't,” he whispered harshly.

“What do you mean, you _can’t_?” the navy-haired man raised an eyebrow.  The blond opened the door a bit wider.

“I mean, I _can’t._ ”  He bit his lip and looked to the side.

“Oh,” Aomine swallowed.  “Can’t get it up?”  Golden eyes snapped back toward him, widened with indignation.

“Will you keep your voice down?” Kise hissed and then grabbed Aomine by the collar, dragging him into the room.  Once they were both inside, he shut the door.  “It’s just kind of hard because…you know,” Kise pressed his back against the door and looked down again.  “Everyone out there,” he gestured toward the waiting room with his chin, “They know what I’m up to in here.”

“Well, it’s a fertility clinic, so, I’m sure they’re used to it,” Aomine offered.

“It’s still weird,” the blond pouted.

“Do you want me to go first then?” the taller man asked.

“I don’t think that'll help,” Kise sighed.

“Have you tried just closing your eyes and pretending you’re at home?” Aomine suggested.

“I tried, but then some nurse walked by the door and bumped it with a cart,” the model lamented.

“What about these?” Aomine reached for the manila envelopes and pulled out one of the magazines.  “Did you try looking at one of these?”

“I don’t read porn at home, so…” Kise blushed and Aomine rolled his eyes, a gesture which hadn’t escaped the blond’s attention.  “Hey, not all of us like dirty magazines, Aominecchi,” he drew his brows down.

“Okay, sorry,” Aomine slipped the book back into the envelope and set it back on the shelf.  “So, what do you propose?”  Kise didn’t answer.  “It’s not like you haven’t done it on your own since we got together, right?”  Kise remained silent, a deep blush spreading on his cheeks.  “Oh my God, are you serious?”

“Sh-Shut up!” the blond’s face turned a deep crimson.

“So I’m that good, huh?” Aomine waggled his eyebrows.

“More like we do it too much for me to get a chance,” Kise frowned up at him.  Aomine gave a low chuckle and crowded his husband up against the door.

“Do you want me to help you?” he purred.

Outside of the room, a nurse was walking by with her collection cart, a rather repetitive task.  She was used to walking by these rooms, so nothing fazed her.  Until today, that is.  She heard what she could only describe as a scuffle, followed by the sound of chair legs scrapping across the floor.  The nurse scooched closer and pressed her ear against the door, worried the person inside might be hurt.

“Ah…Aominecchi, no…don’t…agh…hey!”

“Just sit still!”

“Uh…mmm…oooh!”

“That’s better.”

“W-Wait…Aominecchi…the gloves!  The gloves!!”

She blushed and pulled away before pushing her cart the rest of the way to her destination.

Sometime later, Aomine and Kise were sitting in the waiting room again.  The receptionist called their names and they walked up to the counter.

“We’ll send these samples off to check for any abnormalities,” she explained.  “Once we have the results, we’ll contact you.”  She smiled.  They thanked her and walked out of the office.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Aomine asked.  Kise remained silent, averting his eyes as they walked down the street.  “So, should we add rubber gloves to our routine, then?”

“Y-You…!” the blond glared up at him.  “You’ll be lucky if we resume our ‘routine’ any time in the next year,” he blushed and looked back down at the sidewalk.  They walked in a silence for a bit before Aomine spoke again.

“You know once they get the results, we’ll have to come back, right?”

Kise stopped walking and turned toward his husband.

“Will you be requiring my ‘help’ again?” Aomine flashed a toothy grin.  Kise elbowed him in the side and took off down the sidewalk.  “Aw, c’mon baby, don’t be mad,” he laughed and chased after his husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, poor Kise~


	11. Wedding Planning II - AkaFuri

Furihata’s reflection stared back at him, looking just as ridiculous as he felt.  The traditional white robes, of which there were too many layers, seemed to engulf his rather slender frame.  Masculine, mind you.  But slender.  He sighed and turned to get a better look at the back, nearly falling off the stand in the dressing room.  The fit just wasn’t right.  Of course, that could be because the white robes were generally worn by the bride.

He thought back to the display in the shop’s front window.  The mannequins were wearing the same robes.  The groom’s were much cooler, though.  The dark black kimono contrasting quite nicely with the white pom-pom himo tie in the front.

Maybe Furihata looked out of place in such traditional wear, but the groom’s kimono and hakama would certainly suit Akashi.  Chocolate brown eyes slipped closed as he replaced the mannequin in the window with his fiancé. 

“Mmm…” he hummed at the picture it made.  Furihata let out a little sigh as he imagined Akashi reaching a hand out to him and gripping it tightly as they said their vows.  Akashi’s warm hand would then cradle the back of his head as he pulled him in for a kiss in front of all their loved ones.  And later, the way that black kimono would slip down his husband’s pale shoulder as the redhead leaned over him, claiming his lips again, but this time, with no audience.

“Furihata-san?” a voice broke him from his thoughts.  The brunet flushed at where his mind was going and cleared his thoat.

“Y-Yes?” he squeaked.

“Are you ready to come out?” the salesman who’d helped him into the many layers asked from beyond the curtain.  Furihata wasn’t sure how long ago the other man had left him to gaze upon his reflection, but it must have been long enough.

“Yes, thank you,” the brunet replied.  A snappily dressed man pulled the curtain back and smiled at him, but Furihata didn’t return the gesture.  “I think it’s a bit much, don’t you?” he raised his brows awkwardly.

“No, I think it suits you, Sir,” the salesman’s smile never faltered.  “And we can perform the alterations necessary to make the shape a little-”

“Less feminine?” Furihata offered.

“More to your liking,” the man finished.  The brunet shifted his weight and cleared his throat again.  “Shall we ask your guests for their opinion?” he asked.

“Guests?” Furihata furrowed his brow.  He knew that Akashi-san senior was waiting for him, but his Akashi had been banished to the coffee shop across the street because his father proclaimed that it was ‘bad luck to see the bride in his dress before the wedding day.’  He nodded anyway and followed the salesman out to the waiting area, tripping only once.

“You look breathtaking, Kouki!” Akashi’s father held his arms out.  Furihata blushed, knowing that had to be a lie, and shifted his gaze away from his future father-in-law to the two men seated beside him.  He froze.

“Fukuda, Kawahara,” brown eyes widened.  “What are you doing here?”

“Akashi-san invited us,” the other brunet replied.

“I thought it might be boring picking out formal wear with an old man,” he winked at him.  “So, I invited your friends.”  Furihata felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.  Despite how wedding-crazy Akashi’s father had gone, he always put their feelings first.

“Thank you,” he let the smile take over.

“Wow,” Fukuda blinked up at him.  Furihata shot him a confused frown.  “At first I didn’t think that a kimono was the way to go, but…” he trailed off.

“Furi, you look good,” Kawahara finished for him.

“You don’t have to lie to me,” the brunet pouted.  “I know exactly what I-”

“They’re not lying,” the older man interrupted him.  “It really does suit you, Kouki.”  Furihata was about to argue and bring up his earlier suggestion of just renting a tuxedo, but he didn’t get the chance.

“Dad, I think I left my bank card in your-” Akashi froze when he walked back into the shop, crimson eyes locking on Furihata.

“Sei…” the brunet felt so embarrassed.  It was bad enough that his friends had to see him like this.  But his fiancé?

“Kouki…” the redhead walked over toward him gripped his hand.  “You look so handsome.”

Handsome. Not pretty.  Not ‘breathtaking.’  But handsome.

This, coming from the most handsome person Furihata knew.

“You think so?” he knew he was blushing and he (almost) didn’t care.

“Absolutely,” Akashi’s eyes softened in that way that made Furihata melt.

He decided that maybe wearing traditional robes wouldn’t be so bad after all.

That was until Akashi’s father put the kibosh on the whole thing, claiming that his son had ‘ruined it’ by seeing Furihata before their wedding and now they’d have to start the search for the perfect clothing all over again.

That tux rental was sounding better and better.


	12. Special Delivery - MuraHimu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jumped forward in time again for this one.  
> Talk about MuraHimu being the only couple mentioned in the summary for Great Expectations and they're only just now getting their own chapter. Well, I don't normally write this couple, so...be gentle!  
> Special request from indevan. I would love it if you guys enjoyed it as well, but as long as they're happy with it, I'm happy with it, haha.  
> And, yes, I did the math and the timing should be correct. Imagine...writing a Christmas story in August, haha.

It was December 23rd.  The sun was already beginning to set, even though it was barely dinner time.  Himuro had sent the staff home early, including his husband, so they could prepare for the holiday.  Murasakibara had insisted on staying behind to cook while he waited, but, since the kitchen had just finished undergoing a deep cleaning for the break, Himuro refused, telling the pastry chef to make a mess of their kitchen at home.

Himuro finished entering the inventory numbers into the computer and had moved on to counting the safe.  He wanted to drop the deposit off at the bank before they closed for the holiday.  No need to have their employees’ paychecks bounce right before Christmas.

As he filled out the necessary paperwork, Himuro’s mind wandered.  This would be his and Murasakibara’s last Christmas just the two of them.  Next year they’d have a third, much smaller stocking to hang by the fireplace.  Well, electric heater.

Of course, it really wasn’t just the two of them this year either.  Murasakibara’s sister Atsumi was living with them.  It was the least they could do for her.  After all, she was giving them the greatest present anyone could.  And Himuro would be lying if he said he wasn’t getting impatient.  But Atsumi wasn’t due until January, so he’d have to wait.

He sealed the envelope and closed the safe before walking out of the back office.  He locked the door and walked into the crisp twilight air.  Himuro was happy to be back in L.A.  It didn’t get nearly as cold as Akita and, for that, he was thankful.  And, even if his employees had been wishing for a white Christmas, he and Murasakibara had gotten their fill of snow back in their Yosen days.

Himuro walked into the bank just before closing time.  The teller waved at him, her bright green, light-up sweater blinking in time with her reindeer antlers.

“Happy Holidays, Tatsuya.”  She had long-since given up on trying to pronounce his married name.  Besides, he’d been stopping by every evening with their shop’s deposit for the past year.

“And a Happy New Year to you, Miss Marie,” he flashed her a smile.  She had just taken the envelope from his hand when his cell phone started to ring.  “Oh, sorry, forgot to silence it before I came in.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she waved her hand in dismissal.  “You’re the only one in the lobby anyway,” she gestured toward the empty seats.

“It’s Atsushi,” he said as he looked at the caller ID.

“Go ahead and take it,” Marie spun in her chair to grab a paperclip.  “I’m almost done.”  Himuro nodded in thanks and slid a thumb across the screen to answer.

“I’m at the bank.  I’ll be home in a few,” he said.  Marie hummed happily as she completed the deposit and wrote him a receipt.  Himuro waited for his husband’s impatient, droning reply, but when Murasakibara spoke, his voice was higher than usual.

‘Muro-chin,’ he sounded panicked.  Himuro knew something was up.  Murasakibara had taken to calling him Tatsu-chin lately and he only let the old nickname slip if was in a rush.

“Atsushi, what’s wrong?” he furrowed his brow and glanced over a Marie, who shot him a concerned look.

‘It’s Atsumi, she’s…’ he was breathing heavily like he was running.

“What is it?” Himuro was really getting worried now.  “Is she alright?  What happened?”

‘It’s the baby,’ Murasakibara’s voice seemed to raise another octave.  ‘It’s time.’

“But she isn’t due for another two weeks!” the raven-haired man’s eyes widened.  Marie put a hand over her mouth.

‘They’re taking us back now.  I think my phone might lose recep-’

“Atsushi!” Himuro pulled the phone from his ear and saw that the call had dropped.  “I’ve gotta go,” he turned toward her and grabbed the receipt from her hand.  “I’m having a baby, we’re having a baby, oh my God, I’m going to be a father!” he blurted out as he ran toward the exit.

“Congratulations, Tatsuya!” he barely heard her as the door swung shut behind him.

The fifteen minute train ride to the hospital felt like hours to Himuro.  He kept checking his watch and staring out the window.  Finally, the train slowed to a stop and the doors opened.  He burst through before the Metro Rail automated announcement had finished.

He ran the rest of the way to hospital.  When he arrived at the front desk, he was a sweaty, panting mess.  The elderly nurse at the counter blinked up at him from behind her half-moon glasses.

“May I help you, sir?”

“I’m here to see Atsumi Murasakibara,” he answered, still trying to catch his breath.  “She’s in a labor and was just admitted a little while ago.”

“Relationship to the patient?” she asked as she reached for a visitor pass.

“I’m her brother-in-law,” he said and, after a beat, added, “and the baby’s father.”  The nurse’s hand froze and she looked back over at him.  “Long story,” he offered.

“Alright then,” her hands moved over to the keyboard.  “Name?”

“Tatsuya Murasakibara,” Himuro answered quickly, glancing at his watch again.

“T-A-T,” she began.

“S-U-Y-A,” he finished, growing impatient.

“Okay and what was the last name again?” she asked.

“Murasakibara,” he said, fingers beginning to drum against the counter.

“Oh, that’s a mouthful,” the nurse laughed.  In any other situation, Himuro would have found this funny, but not now.  Not when his husband and their baby were waiting for him.  “Let’s see,” her fingers slowly typed, “M-U-R…um…E?”

“A,” he corrected.

“M-U-R-A-S…” she paused.  “What was it again?”

“Here,” Himuro reached for his wallet and pulled out his driver’s license.  “And please hurry!”

“Calm down, Mr. Murasawa,” she raised thin brows.  Himuro gritted his teeth.  “There we go,” she finished typing and handed back his license along with a visitor’s pass.  “Ms. Murabasa is in L&D Room 304,” said and Himuro took off.  “That’s on the third floor!” she called after him.

He raced to the elevator and, after waiting less than ten seconds, he gave up and took the stairs.  He spotted the room and knocked impatiently on the door.  To his surprise, Murasakibara was the one to answer.

“Tatsu-chin,” he sounded much calmer now.  “What took you so long?”

“Ran into some trouble at the front desk,” he explained and then looked past his husband to his sister-in-law, lounging on the bed, watching T.V.  “How is she?”

“Fine,” the taller man answered.  “Her contractions are five minutes apart and they said she’s three centimeters.”

“You really didn’t need to rush down here,” Atsumi said from the bed.  “We probably still have a few hours before anything exciting happens,” she laughed, but then frowned.  “Though I wish they’d told me that I couldn’t eat anything once I was admitted,” she growled.  “I’m starving.”  She looked up at her younger brother.  “Atsushi, give me one of your snacks.”

“Tsumi-nee-chin, the nurse said-”

“Do you want this baby or not?” she hissed.  Himuro chuckled, finally calming down.  Like bother, like sister.

It was nearly seven hours later when a high-pitched wail echoed in the tiny hospital room.  Himuro looked over from his spot beside Atsumi, her hand slowly releasing its death grip on his.

“Congratulations,” the doctor looked at them with smiling eyes above his surgical mask.  “It’s a girl.”  Himuro looked across to his husband, stationed on her other side.  Their eyes met and immediately filled with tears.

“A girl,” Himuro rested his forehead against Atsumi’s hair and kissed her temple.  “Thank you, Atsumi, thank you.”

Sometime later, the three found themselves in the recovery room.  Atsumi was sleeping soundly on the bed, while Murasakibara and Himuro sat on the cushioned window seat, leaning against each other and dozing.  But both men snapped awake when they heard the door open.

“Alright, she’s all cleaned up,” a nurse wheeled in a cart.  “I see Mom’s sleeping,” she smiled at them.  “Which one of you is Dad?”

“I am,” Himuro said, “I mean, we both are, but-”

“Here you go,” the nurse lifted the infant up, seemingly ignoring the rest of what he was saying.  “Mind her head,” she said as she handed the baby over.  “I’ll be back in a bit to check on Ms. Musashiba, uh, Musawaba,” she paused with a laugh, “well, you know.”

“She’s beautiful,” Himuro said as he gently rocked the baby.  She had the smallest tuft of lavender-colored hair on her head and, even though her eyes were closed, he knew they were gray like his.

She was so small now, but Himuro knew she’d be pretty tall.  Murasakibara was a giant, but most people didn’t realize that he was, in fact, the shortest person in his family.  Himuro recalled the first time he’d me them.  That was also the first time he’d ever heard anyone call his husband ‘Shorty.’  And, despite the fact that he was often dwarfed by standing next to his husband, Himuro was over six feet, himself.  Yes, she was going to be in the 90th percentile for height, that was for sure.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, rocking his daughter.  Their daughter.  Finally, he realized he’d been hogging her.

“Oh, sorry,” he turned toward Murasakibara.  “Here,” he held her forward, but his husband scratched the back of his head and looked away.  “Go ahead, she won’t bite,” Himuro laughed, a little over-tired. The taller man mumbled something, but he didn’t quite hear it.  “What?”

“I…” he swallowed.  “I’m scared.”

“Scared?” Himuro blinked up at him.  “Whatever for?”  Purple eyes met his.

“I don’t want to crush her,” the taller man looked so serious, Himuro dared not to laugh. He smiled softly and reached for his husband’s hand.  Carefully, he deposited the infant into those strong arms.  “She’s so tiny,” Murasakibara smiled down at her.

“Yeah, but she won’t be for long,” Himuro chuckled.  The taller man held her close and nuzzled her cheek.

“She’s finally here,” he breathed.

“Just in time for Christmas Eve,” the dark-haired man looked over at the calendar.  “Guess she couldn’t wait until next year.”  They were silent for a bit before Himuro spoke again.  “I think this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“Mmm…” Murasakibara hummed in agreement.  “Merry Christmas, Tatsu-chin.”

“Merry Christmas, Atsushi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's quite a bit of indevan headcanon going on here. My favorite is their idea that Atsushi is the shortest member of his family, haha.  
> I threw in the bit about no one being able to pronounce "Murasakibara," haha. I mean, they live in L.A., so...  
> I mentioned it in the notes before, but Tatsuya usually gets a kick out of it when people can't spell or pronounce their last name. But, he WAS in a bit of a hurry here.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed!! One baby down~ (also, taking suggestions for names. Tatsumi was my original choice...but I avoided it in the story, hehe)


	13. Congratulations!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jumping back in time a bit from the last chapter.  
> Man, I'm all over the place~ ^^;  
> I know Shadowwing94 has been waiting for this, hehe. I hope it lives up to your expectations!

The next time everyone was together was in the fall when they all attended the Murasakibaras’ baby shower.  On the Akashi Group’s dime, of course.  The buffet of hors d'oeuvres and finger foods had already been laid out for the guests to enjoy.  Everyone had broken off into small groups to catch-up with each other.

“Yes, we’ve been looking through a few databases,” Midorima explained to Kagami and Kuroko.  “There are so many choices and we want to make sure we choose the right surrogate for our child.”

“Shin-chan is trying to decide between the rocket scientist and the brain surgeon,” Takao snickered and ignored the glare shot his way.  “I’ll be happy as long as she’s got a good personality.”

“That might not be wise, Takao-kun,” Kuroko warned.

“For once, I agree with Kuroko,” Midorima frowned at his husband.  “A good medical history should come before a good personality.”

“Because the child might still end up with Midorima’s disposition,” Kuroko finished in his usual deadpan.  Green eyes widened and then narrowed at the shorter man.  Takao burst into gales of laughter.

“Testuya!” Kagami reprimanded his husband.

“It’s a valid concern, Taiga-kun,” he blinked slowly and Takao held his stomach to keep his sides from splitting.

In another corner of the room, Kise was wrapping a comforting arm around Momoi.

“It’s okay, Momocchi,” he rubbed soothing circles on her back.  “We didn’t really expect it to happen on the first try.”

“But I feel like I’ve let you down,” she nearly sobbed, cursing the added hormones in her fertility pills.  “I was hoping I could greet you two with good news.”

“What’s important is that you’re healthy,” Kise smiled.  “The doctor said we can try again next month.”

“But it’s so expensive,” she sighed.  “I feel like I’m wasting your money.”

“Don’t worry about the money,” the blond held her shoulders and looked her in the eye.  “We’ll try as many times as it takes.”  Momoi offered a weak smile and nodded.  “Now, would you like something to eat?”

“Nah,” the pink-haired woman shook her head.  “These fertility drugs are making me queasy,” she wiped a tear that had managed to escape earlier.  “I’m just going to head to the washroom to freshen up.”  Kise gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before letting her go.

The blond stood up and walked over to join his husband, who was congratulating the happy couple and the mommy-to-be.

“How do you like it in America?” Aomine asked.

“Well, I can’t say that I care for the food here,” Atsumi laughed and rubbed her stomach.  “It seems as though the only American food the baby wants is jelly beans.”

“It must get that from you, Tatsu-chin,” Murasakibara frowned at his husband.

“Thankfully, Atsushi has been having Japanese snacks shipped over for me,” she began and then added, “Though mostly for himself.”

“Hey, I’ve been sharing,” the tall man muttered.

“Sometimes,” Atsumi raised her brows.  “And Tatsuya has been kind enough to go out and find anything else I want to eat.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Himuro smiled at her.  “As long as you live under our roof, I’ll do my best to ensure that you’re comfortable.” 

“Mmm,” she hummed.  “It’s a shame Atsushi snagged you before I got the chance.”  They all laughed.  Except for Mursakibara, that is.

“Was it hard leaving home to live here?” Kise questioned.

“Well, it was difficult at first, but I’m glad I chose to move here for the pregnancy,” Atsumi replied.  “They’ve done a fantastic job making me feel at home and welcome here.”

“We asked Momocchi to move in with us when the time comes, but…” Kise trailed off.

“Satsuki said she wants to continue working until the third trimester,” Aomine continued for him.  “She said she’ll move to New York once her maternity leave begins.”

The conversations came to a halt when Akashi walked into the center of the room and cleared his throat, catching their attention.  Furihata stood a half step behind him, eyes downcast and cheeks tinted pink.

“First off all, I’d like to thank all of you for coming,” the redhead flashed a smile.  “It was my great pleasure to invite you all here to honor Atsumi-san as well as Atsushi and Tatsuya-san’s child.”  He raised his glass toward the happy couple.  “And,” crimson eyes scanned the room, “now that we have you all in one place…”

Akashi turned toward Furihata and smiled before addressing the room again.

“After months of strategizing, Kouki and I have set a date.”  He took a deep breath.  “We would like to cordially invite you, to…” but he trailed off when he saw Momoi walking back into the room.  She was staggering slightly and her face was pale.

Aomine and Kise walked over to her to see if she was alright.

“Momocchi, are you okay?” Kise grabbed her arm to steady her.

“I’m pregnant…” she said, voice barley above a whisper.  She blinked and then she smiled.  She turned to look up at Kise and then Aomine.  “I’m pregnant!” she said giddily.

“But…I thought-” the blond began.

“I know, but,” she bit her lip in excitement.  “I had an extra pregnancy test in my purse and I thought, ‘What the Hell?’ and decided to give it one more try.”

“So, Satsuki, you’re…” Aomine looked at her with wide, anxious eyes.

“I’m pregnant,” she confirmed again.  “I’m going to have a baby,” she laughed.  “You’re going to have a baby!”

“That’s great news!” Kise put a hand to his forehead as his eyes filled with tears and a huge grin broke out on his face.

“Satsuki, I could kiss you!” Aomine picked her up and spun her around.

“Hey now, hey now!” she swatted at him.  “This can’t…be good…for the baby,” she gasped between giggles.  Aomine blushed and set her down before grabbing Kise and spinning him around instead.

Finally, the rest of the room caught up and went running over to them.

“Congratulations!” Takao nearly knocked Aomine and Kise over as he tackled them with a big bear hug.  “I’m so jealous!”

“I suppose we’ll be attending your baby shower next then,” Midorima adjusted his glasses, but couldn’t hide the stupid grin on his face.

“Aomine-kun and Kise-kun had better take good care of Momoi-san,” Kuroko crossed his arms over his chest.

“Aww, Testu-kun is so protective of me,” Momoi trilled and hugged the shorter man.

Just outside of the cacophony of congratulatory words and gestures, Akashi was still standing frozen in place with his drink raised in the air.  Crimson eyes blinked slowly as he took in the joyous sight before him.  But, once again, he’d failed to share his own news.

Furihata put a hand on his fiancé’s shoulder and stepped forward.

“And, while we’re on the subject of happy announcements,” the brunet said in a loud voice Akashi had never heard him use before.  The group immediately stopped chattering and turned toward him.  “Sei and I would be honored if you’d join us in celebrating our marriage this upcoming Valentine’s Day.”

Ten pairs of eyes blinked in silent unison before the group exploded.

“You two are getting married?”

“When did you get engaged?”

“Let me see the ring!”

“Sorry for ruining your announcement again…”

“Congratulations!”

“I didn’t know Furihata-kun could be so manly~”

“Furihata-kun, your face is red.”

The brunet felt his face light up, but ignored it when Akashi took his hand, lacing their fingers and raising it to his lips to kiss each knuckle.

‘Thank you,’ the redhead mouthed.

‘Any time,’ Furihata’s lips seemed to move on their own.  Akashi grinned and turned toward the crowd.

“That’s February the 14th,” he said.  “Please keep that weekend open.”

The conversations at the party were even livelier after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the next three chapters planned! Well, four, I guess. But they're out of chronological order. Is that messing with anyone?  
> This story has turned into a series of vignettes. But...I'm oddly okay with that.


	14. Pass - KagaKuro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile since we've seen just Kagami and Kuroko. (This is another indevan request)

Kuroko was lying on his stomach on their bed, scrolling through a database of possible egg donors while Kagami sat at his desk, flipping through page after page of surrogate profiles on his laptop.  They’d been at it for hours, both wordlessly scanning pages until Kagami broke the silence.

“Find any good ones?” the redhead looked over his shoulder.  Kuroko peered over his screen and studied his husband before his light blue gaze returned to his work.

“I believe I’ve found a few possibilities,” the shorter man answered.  “How about you, Taiga-kun?” He asked.  “Any luck?”

“Well, there are a few that I like, but I want your opinion,” Kagami beckoned him over.  Kuroko shut his laptop and rolled over before getting off the bed and walking to his husband, petting a slumbering Nigou as he passed.

“Which ones?” Kuroko asked, resting his chin on Kagami’s shoulder.  The taller man opened the first tab and the bright, smiling face of a young girl appeared on the screen.

“This one looks promising,” Kagami scrolled down to her information.  “Twenty-three years old, non-smoker,” he looked at her location, “and she’s local.”  Kuroko was silent as he read over her profile.  “She’s kinda pretty, too, don’t you think?”

“Pass.”

“What?” the redhead furrowed his brow.  “Why?”

“I don’t like her,” Kuroko said softly, eyes shifting to look at his husband before looking back at the screen.

“All right…” Kagami closed her tab and opened the next one.  “This girl says she’s very active and played varsity basketball in high school before moving on to coach elementary school kids in college,” he smiled, turning his head to get a better look at his husband.  “Maybe when we meet with her, we could invite her for some one-on-one-”

“Pass.”

“But-” Kagami started.

“Next.”

“Okay, okay,” he moved on to the next girl.  “Let’s see,” he scanned the page.  “She’s our age and loves dogs and, hey!” Kagami paused, eyes widening.  “I think I went to middle school with her.”

“Pass.”

“What’s wrong with her?” the redhead frowned.

“Pass,” Kuroko repeated.

“This next girl is twenty-four, loves surfing and, wow, she kind of looks like you, Tetsu-”

“Pass.”

“Oh, my God, I give up!” Kagami threw his arms in the air and stood up, knocking his husband off of his shoulder.  “I haven’t seen you pass this much since Seirin!” he roared. Kuroko licked his lips and stifled a laugh.

“That was pretty clever,” Kuroko looked up at him, a small smile playing on his lips.  And despite the fact that he was trying to look angry, the corner of Kagami’s mouth twitched.

“Yeah, I thought so,” he chuckled and shook his head.  “But seriously, Tetsuya, why are you being so difficult about this?”

“No reason…” the shorter man blinked.

“Don’t lie to me,” Kagami frowed, “Especially so obviously.”  Kuroko looked to the side and Kagami followed his gaze over to Nigou.  The malamute had rolled onto his back and let out a whine in his sleep. When Kagami looked back, his husband was gone.  “Damn it, Tetsuya!” he yelled.  “Don’t just misdirect me!”

Kuroko, who had run into the bathroom, smirked to himself.  Soon enough, Kagami would find him and he’d have to do his best to distract his husband again.  There was no way he was going to admit that he was jealous of the girls that Kagami ‘liked.’  But the taller man did have a history of not realizing just how handsome he was and his niceness was often misinterpreted as flirting. 

They had plenty of time to decide on a surrogate.  For now, though, Kuroko had a frustrated Kagami to occupy.

*~*

After successfully ‘distracting’ his husband for the better part of an hour, Kuroko and Kagami lay in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“That was nice…” the redhead hummed.  “What were we fighting about?”

“Nothing,” Kuroko snuggled closer to him.  Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door, followed by the metallic creaking of their letter box.  Kagami got out of bed, despite his husband’s protests, and got the mail.  He returned to their bedroom carrying a large manila envelope.

“I almost forgot,” the taller man beamed.  “That surrogate agency we talked to a few days ago was going to send some profiles over,” he held up the packet, “Guess that’s these.”

Kuroko sat up on his knees as Kagami rejoined him on the bed.  He opened the envelope and poured out its contents.  Each page had a detailed list of everything there was to know about a person and a headshot photo paper-clipped to the top.

“You know,” Kagami said as Kuroko started flipping through the pages, “This kinda feels like I’m getting ready for one of those Japanese marriage interviews,” he laughed.

“Pass.”

“But we haven’t even-”

“Pass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A jealous Kuroko is just too adorable for words~
> 
> A "marriage interview" or "omiai" is a type of match-making used in Japan and can be described as "a meeting opportunity with more serious considerations for the future." During the early stages, singles are presented with information about other unattached people, including photos. Kagami would have learned about these when he lived in Japan. Kuroko is not amused, haha.


	15. Lost & Found I - MidoTaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was getting long... Going to break it up into two parts.  
> One could assume that this takes place in the late fall, after the baby shower and before Tatsumi is born (MuraHimu's daughter)

Takao wasn’t sure how his husband would react when he saw him.  He had an idea, but the wording the resident doctor had chosen threw him for a loop.

“So, you finally did it,” his seemingly stoic lover stared at him, green eyes blinking slowly behind his glasses’ black frames.  Takao blinked in confusion.  He was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs by the west corridor’s nursing station.  They had only just called his husband’s name over the intercom and he was already there.  Takao hadn’t had much of a chance to prepare anything to say.

“Did what, Shin-chan?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Kazu, I know you want a child as much as I do, but I put even you above kidnapping,” the green-haired doctor crossed his arms over his chest.

“Kidnapping…?” Takao furrowed his brow and then looked at the bundle in his arms.  Suddenly, his silvery eyes widened in understanding.  “No, it’s not what it looks like,” he shook his head.  “I’m working.”

“I didn’t realize they paid paramedics to babysit,” Midorima narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

“Well, in this case, they do,” Takao looked back down at the infant and smiled.  “We got a call from a shop owner downtown,” he explained.  “It seems that someone left this little angel in one of the store’s bathroom stalls.”  Midorima’s eyes were wide.  “One of the part-timers heard her crying.”

“Who would do such a thing?” the doctor gasped.

“I have no idea,” Takao frowned.  “She was left in her carrier with no identification,” he said, “Only a note saying that her parents couldn’t take care of her anymore.”

“I see, but,” Midorima eyed the baby in his husband’s arms, “why bring her here?”

“Well, my partner and I checked her out in the ambulance, but,” he chewed his lip, “we wanted to bring her to the pediatrician here just in case.”  The taller man nodded.

“Have you contacted the Welfare Office?” he asked.

“My partner’s on the phone with them right now,” Takao pointed his chin toward the automatic doors.  Midorima turned to see the spiky-haired man pacing back and forth with an annoyed look on his face.  “Anyway, it’s a good thing this was our last call of the day,” he looked back down at the slumbering infant.

Takao had found out from the pediatrician that she was at or around eight months old.  She’d cried the moment the doctor had taken her from Takao’s arms, but stopped when she was handed back to him.  He knew he’d have to hand her over again, for good this time, but he was happy to hold her now and stroke her soft, black hair.  She was such a beautiful baby.  Why would anyone leave her behind?

“Well, there’s twenty minutes of my life I’ll never get back,” Takao’s partner ranted as he walked through the sliding glass doors and toward them.

“Did you get a hold of them, Kasamatsu-san?” Takao asked, gently rocking the infant, who had stirred when she heard the older man’s voice.

“No such luck,” Kasamatsu frowned.  “Kept me on hold for ages and then sent me to voicemail.”  He took a deep breath.  “I let them know that we brought her here, so they’ll probably send someone from the Child Guidance Center to pick her up later.”

“But when will that be?” the younger man pouted.  “You can’t expect me to leave her alone.”

“I’m sure the nurses are more than capable of watching over a baby for a couple of hours,” Kasamatsu raised a thick eyebrow.  “Anyway, our shift is over and we’ve got to wash the ambulance for the night crew.”

Midorima, who had been silently observing the conversation, walked behind the counter and pressed the button to page one of the nurses.

An older nurse came over and cooed at the baby.  Takao explained the situation to her and she happily accepted the child from him.  But, just like with the pediatrician, the moment she was out of Takao’s hold, she began to cry.

“She doesn’t want me to leave,” Takao reasoned, shooting his partner a pleading look.

“Babies cry, Takao,” Kasamatsu rolled his eyes.  “She’ll be fine.”  Takao sighed and, with one last look, turned to follow his partner out, but it seemed as though the baby could sense his impending exit.  Her cries turned into piercing wails.  Takao immediately ran back to her and gathered her up into his arms.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he soothed, rocking her back and forth.  Almost instantly, she stopped crying and fell asleep.  “That’s a girl,” he leaned down and nuzzled her nose with his.  “I’ve got to go wash the truck, but then I’ll come right back,” he whispered.  He handed her off to the nurse and, even though she appeared to be in a deep sleep, she awoke and started screaming again.

“Takao…” Kasamatsu warned before his partner even had a chance to speak.  “Our shift ended a half an hour ago,” he put his hands on his hips.  “Dispatch is going to have our heads if we’re not back in time for the next crew.”

“I know, but…” he looked back at the crying infant longingly, “I can’t leave her.”  Takao walked back and took her into his arms again, though this time she continued to cry.  “She’s so upset,” he frowned. 

“I wonder why she’s still crying,” Midorima mused aloud and as soon as the baby heard his deep voice, she stopped crying and turned to look at him, brown eyes staring up at him.  Takao looked down at her and followed her gaze to his husband.

“I think she likes you, Shin-chan,” he beamed.

“Takao!  Sometime today?” Kasamatsu began to tap his foot impatiently.

“All right, I’m coming,” Takao called over his shoulder.  “You’re done with your shift now, too, right?” he asked Midorima.  The green-haired man turned to look at the clock and then nodded.  “Good, I’ll feel a lot better if she waits with you.”

“Wait, Kazu, I don’t think-”

“I’ll rush back over as soon as we’re done cleaning the ambulance,” he promised as he followed his partner out of the doors.  “Be good for Shin-chan!” he waved and disappeared as the door closed.

Midorima looked down at the baby in his arms.  She looked back up at him and gurgled.

“She does seem to like you, Midorima-sensei,” the nurse chuckled.  “Well, I’ll leave her to you then,” she added and started to walk away.

“Wait, ma’am, I don’t think I’m qualified-” but he was interrupted when the baby reached up and grabbed for his glasses.  He tried to hold her further away from him, but that only aided in her thievery.  She got a hold of the black frames and, in Midorima’s attempt to get them back, they fell out of her hands and onto her face.  The lenses magnified her eyes, making them impossibly large.

Without his permission, a soft smile broke out on Midorima’s face.

“Well, if it’s only for a couple of hours…”

*~*

A half an hour into his first babysitting job since he watched his little sister back in middle school, the baby started to cry again.  A few nurses, who stopped by because they’d heard the normally ice-cold Midorima-sensei was watching an adorable baby, checked her diaper and brought him some formula from the maternity wing.  Though neither seemed to soothe her.

Midorima found himself longing for Takao to come back.  He seemed to be much better at this.

At minute fourteen of her tantrum, the green-haired man finally caved and began talking to her.

“It’s okay, baby,” he bounced her on his knee.  “There’s nothing to cry about,” he offered.  “You’re clean and you’re fed,” he went on.  “Kazu will be back soon,” he tried, but she carried on, fat tears beginning to roll down her flushed cheeks.

He looked around for help, but none of the nurses had returned from their various errands.  He was stranded with a crying baby.

“Maybe I have a lollipop,” he thought, thinking back to his earlier work in the children’s wing.  He reached into his left breast pocket and pulled out a green plastic cricket.  Instantly, the baby stopped crying and stared at the toy.  “Oh, do you like this?” Midorima asked.  “It’s Oha Asa’s lucky item for today,” he explained.

“Goo…” she gurgled and held her hands out.  He gave it to her and she stared at it for a moment before putting it in her mouth.

“Uh, no, you don’t want to do that,” Midorima tried to take it back from her and, when he succeeded, she began wailing again.  “All right, don’t cry, here you go,” he handed it back to her and she giggled.  “You like korogi, huh?” he pointed to the cricket and she smiled.  “Then you can keep it.”

“Shin-chan, I’m sorry I took so long!” Takao apologized as he ran into the waiting area.  “I’m glad I got here before they came to get her,” he smiled and stroked her hair.  “Why is she chewing on a korogi?” he asked.

“It’s the only thing that would stop her from crying,” Midorima explained.

“You like it, Korogi-chan?” he asked.

“What?” the doctor raised an eyebrow.

“Since she likes crickets, we should call her Korogi,” Takao offered.

“That is hardly a proper name for a child,” Midorima frowned.

“And what do you suggest?” the dark-haired man crossed his arms over his chest.  Midorima opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“I suppose I don’t have another suggestion,” he said.

“Then Korogi-chan it is,” Takao beamed.

It was two hours later when they finally received a phone call from the Welfare Office.  The nurse who had answered the phone looked rather putout with whatever the person on the other line was saying.

“Yes, I understand that it’s a busy time of the year,” she said into the receiver.  “Of course, but one of our doctors has been taking care of her this whole time when his shift ended over two-” she paused, interrupted.  “I understand, but we don’t have any extra beds in the nursery.” 

Takao, who was holding Korogi again, looked over at his husband with a worried expression.

“Well, what do you propose we do?” the nurse’s thinly-veiled frustration was now out in the open for all to see.  “I can’t ask that of him,” she barked and then sighed.  “Yes, I understand.”  She hung up.

“That didn’t sound like they’re coming,” Takao said.

“I’m sorry about that,” the older nurse shook her head.  “It seems that all of their agents have been busy all day,” she explained.  “And they have no one to pick her up until tomorrow.”

“But where will she stay?” the dark-haired man clutched her to his chest.  Korogi murmured in her sleep and gripped the front of his shirt.

“I’m not sure,” the nurse replied.  “There are no beds available in the nursery and we can’t put her in a regular room.”

“What was it that the Welfare Office suggested?” Midorima stood.  “You seemed upset.”

“They suggested that the doctor who’d been watching her take her to his home,” she answered.  “But I couldn’t ask that of you, Midorima-sensei.”

“Like, foster her?” Takao asked.  He turned toward his husband.  “Shin-chan, we already have a lot of things prepared,” he stated and bit his lower lip.  “And it’s only for one night.”

“Kazu, she’s not a lost kitten,” Midorima frowned at him.

“But we already have a crib and diapers,” Takao reasoned.  “And we can pick up some formula and baby food on the way home.”

“The hospital could supply you with those things,” the nurse added.

“Besides,” his husband smiled, “this will give us good practice for when we finally get our baby.”  Midorima knew it was a bad idea.  He knew that Takao would get, was already getting, attached to the baby.  But the way his husband was looking up at him with pleading eyes.  He couldn’t deny him.

“If it’s just for the night…” Midorima barely got out before Takao jumped up and wrapped his free arm around his husband’s neck.

“Thank you, Shin-chan,” he practically glowed.

“Just for the night, though,” Midorima reiterated.

“Thank you, Sensei,” the nurse looked relieved. “They faxed over a few forms you’ll need to fill out and then you can be on your way.”  The men nodded.  Once they were done, the nurse gave them a diaper bag filled to the brim with ‘new baby’ items from the maternity ward.  “Please feel free to call this number if you have any questions,” she handed them a card.  “And I’ll phone you as soon as I hear from the Welfare Office,” she promised.

“This is going to be fun,” Takao grinned as he shouldered the bag and lifted Korogi in her carrier.

“Just don’t get too attached,” Midorima warned as they boarded the train home.  “Korogi-chan is going back tomorrow,” he said.  She looked up at them and let out a little whine.  “Oh,” he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the plastic cricket.  “Here you go,” he handed her the toy and smiled down at her.

“I’m not sure I’m the one you should be worried about,” Takao snickered.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Midorima turned toward him with a frown.

“Nothing, nothing,” the dark-haired man bit his lip.  “Anyway, let’s do our best to take care of her tonight,” he paused, “Okay, Daddy?”

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stayed tuned for the next installment! Sleep-deprived baby care and some slight angst ahead~
> 
> Oh, and if you're wondering about the name...indevan really wanted her name to be Korogi and darn if I wasn't going to figure out how to get that in there XD


	16. Lost & Found II - MidoTaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me for this.  
> Part 2 of Midorima and Takao's attempts at parenting...go~  
> (also, OMG over 3000 hits!)

**7:17 PM**

The train stopped at Midorima and Takao’s station and they disembarked.  It was a mere five minute walk to their apartment.

“Do you have your keys?” Midorima asked when they arrived at the door, only to be hushed by his husband.

“Shh,” Takao put a finger to his lips.  “Korogi-chan fell asleep on the walk over,” he pointed to the infant in the carrier.  “Little angel must have tuckered herself out crying today.”

“She has been through a lot,” the taller man mused.  “I suppose we should put her to bed.”

“I’m kind of disappointed,” Takao admitted.  “I was hoping we could play with her some more before we have to hand her over tomorrow,” he frowned.  He set the carrier down and gingerly unbuckled the harness before taking her out and gently cradling her against his chest.  “She’s out,” he chuckled.

“The crib should be ready,” Midorima said as he pulled out the baby food and formula from the bag the hospital had given them and took inventory of what they had.

“She’ll probably sleep until morning,” Takao hummed as he walked her into their future baby’s room.

Famous last words.

**7:26 PM**

“Looks like I didn’t have to worry about missing out tonight,” Takao smiled to himself as he walked out of the baby’s room holding Korogi in his arms.  “I think she’s hungry.”

“I’ll mix up some formula,” Midorima was already at the kitchen sink, filling a bottle.  Takao sat down on their couch and situated himself so there was a pillow under his arm, supporting Korogi’s head.  His husband walked over and handed him the freshly made bottle.

“Thanks, Shin-chan,” he smiled up at him.  “You can go to bed if you want,” Takao continued.  “We both had long days today.”

“It’s all right,” Midorima sat down on the loveseat across from him.  “I’ll wait until you’re done.”

“Okay,” the dark-haired man grinned.  “She’s already starting to fall asleep again.”

**8:13 PM**

“How much can one child eat?” Takao’s silvery eyes were wide.  “She’s up to ten ounces of formula!”

“Maybe she’d like some of the baby food?” Midorima suggested, flipping to the next page of the book he was reading:  ‘How to Properly Raise Your Child:  Birth to Age 5’

“Okay,” Takao pulled the bottle away after Korogi spit it out and started crying.  “Let’s start with the strained peas,” he said.  “Babies love peas, right?”

**8:40 PM**

“I’m so sorry, Shin-chan!” Takao apologized for the fifth time.  “I didn’t think she’d do that,” he followed his husband into the bathroom, carrying the baby in his arms.

“It’s fine,” Midorima said, but the vein on his forehead told otherwise.

“I hope your shirt doesn’t stain,” his husband frowned.  “Peas don’t stain, do they?”

“I’m not sure if they do once they’ve been partially digested,” the taller man sighed.

**9:18 PM**

“She’s finally asleep,” Takao slumped onto the couch and let his head rest on the back.  “I didn’t think she’d ever stop crying,” he added.  “And she ate so much…like a bottomless pit.”

“She didn’t quite _eat_ all of it,” Midorima gestured to the not one, but three green stains on his shirt.  He grabbed his book from the coffee table and started to look something up, when Takao took the book from his hands.

“Let’s go to bed,” he said.  “It’s been a long day.”

**10:01 PM**

Midorima was abruptly awoken from his slumber when he heard a piercing cry from over the baby monitor.  He jumped out of bed and reached for his glasses, tripping over his house slippers in the process and knocking over his bedside lamp.

“Shin…chan…?” Takao opened a bleary eye and looked up at him.

“It’s alright, Kazu,” the green-haired man adjusted his glasses and righted the lamp.  “I’m sure she just has a dirty diaper.”  His husband nodded and closed his eye, immediately falling back asleep and snoring softly.  The cries from the monitor seemed to double in volume, reminding Midorima of why he had woken up in the first place.

“Coming Korogi,” he murmured as he walked into the baby’s room.  She had flipped herself over and was in the process of pulling herself up the side of the crib.  “Shh, it’s okay,” he soothed as he picked her up and bounced her gently, searching for the changing pad amongst their many supplies.

He found it and put it down on top of the dresser.  He set her down and opened a fresh pack of diapers.  After spending five whole minutes figuring out how to open the bottom of her onesie, as Takao had done it the three times prior, he managed to unsnap it and pull it up and out of the way.

Korogi looked up and him and gurgled.  Again, Midorima found himself smiling without realizing it.  He took off her diaper, which had to have broken some sort of record for holding the most liquid, and tossed it in the garbage pail in the corner.  It landed dead center with a resounding thunk.  He then grabbed a fresh diaper and unfolded it.

“Now,” he held it up to the light, “which side is the front?”

**10:20 PM**

Midorima’s head had just hit the pillow when Korogi began crying again.  He groaned and reached toward his nightstand for his glasses.

“Nya, I got ‘er, babe,” Takao threw the covers off and staggered out of the room.  Midorima snuggled into the pillow and then heard his husband’s voice over the monitor.  “Shin-chan, why is her diaper on backwards?”

**11:06 PM**

Again, Korogi’s cries came over the baby monitor and echoed through the room.

“She’s never going to sleep,” Takao hissed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

“This was your idea,” Midorima moaned, burying his head beneath his pillow.

“Yeah, yeah,” the dark-haired man pulled himself out of bed and disappeared into the hallway.

**2:15 AM**

Midorima stirred in his sleep and reached over for his husband, but he came up empty-handed.  He pulled his head out from under his pillow and opened his eyes.  Takao was missing.  Suddenly, he remembered what had happened the day before.  He sat up in bed and listened, expecting to hear Korogi’s cries, but only silence greeted him.

He knew he should have been happy that she was finally quiet, but he was worried.  What if something had happened?  What if Takao had tripped while carrying her in his sleep-deprived state?  What if his husband was lying unconscious on the floor and Korogi had crawled over to the kitchen and gotten into the rat poison?  Of course, it didn’t occur to him that they didn’t even own rat poison.

He bolted out of bed and ran out of the room.  He checked the baby’s room first, but he didn’t see them.  Then he ran into the main area of the apartment.  His eyes scanned from the kitchen to the family room.  He still didn’t see them.

“Kazu!” he shouted and then he heard a loud snore coming from the other side of the couch.  Furrowing his brow, Midorima walked around and saw his husband sitting on the ground, with his head resting on the seat of the couch, one arm slack by his side, hand holding a bottle and the other arm cradling a slumbering Korogi.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Midorima bent down and scooped Korogi up, moving his free hand to brush the bangs from Takao’s forehead.  The dark-haired man mumbled in his sleep and leaned into the touch.  Midorima smiled and stood up, walking the baby into her room.  He set her down in the crib and crept out on his tiptoes, trying desperately not wake her.

He walked back into the living room and gently shook his husband’s shoulder.

“Kazu,” he whispered.  “You fell asleep.”

“Five more minutes, Shin-chan…” he groaned and drew his brows down.

“You’re on the floor.”  But Takao did not respond.  Midorima reached under his husband and lifted him up, a seemingly impossible task given his enervated state, but he somehow managed to carry Takao to their bed.  “Good night,” he murmured and collapsed next to the dark-haired man.

“Wuv…ooh…” Takao slurred and then snored.

**5:10 AM**

Takao shot up when he heard Korogi’s wail.  He looked down and found his arms empty.  He panicked for a moment, but then he realized that he wasn’t in the living room anymore.  He turned and saw Midorima slumbering peacefully beside him.  He grinned and then got out of bed, walking to Korogi’s room.

“Are you hungry?” he cooed.  She stopped crying and looked up at him, a huge smile spreading across her chubby little face.

**9:00 AM**

After finally getting some sleep, Takao and Midorima woke up for good, each showering and getting dressed.  Takao finished first and grabbed Korogi, putting her in a highchair, which he’d spent an hour putting together sometime during the night.  She gurgled happily, playing with her toy cricket while the dark-haired man made breakfast.

“Do I smell pancakes?” the taller man asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“I thought we deserved a big breakfast after the night we had.”  Takao hummed as he flipped one of the cakes in the pan.  “Go ahead and sit down.”  He pointed to the table with his spatula.

“Does Korogi need to be fed?” Midorima asked, looking at the baby.

“I’m making some smaller pancakes for her,” Takao answered.  “And, before you ask, I looked it up in your book,” he winked, “It’s fine.”  Midorima hid a smile behind his cup of coffee.

“This is strong,” he commented.

“You’ve got a twelve hour shift starting this afternoon, right?” his husband asked.  Midorima nodded.  “What time do you have to go in?”  But before Midorima could answer, he was interrupted by a knock on their door.  Takao shot him an inquisitive look and the taller man frowned, shaking his head slightly with a shrug of his shoulders.  They weren’t expecting anyone that he knew of.

Takao walked over to the door and opened it.

“Takao-Midorima residence?” a rather plump woman with a bun asked, adjusting her glasses.  Takao nodded.  “I’m Agent Suzuki from the Welfare Office,” she explained, flashing her identification.  “And this is Officer Tanaka,” she gestured to the policeman behind her.  “We’re here to collect the child.”

“Oh,” his face fell.  “Of course,” Takao stepped to the side and let them into their apartment.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the both of you for interrupting your lives in order to take care of her,” she gave a tired smile.  “We’ve been very busy and short-staffed this month,” she went on.  “And I apologize for coming straight to your home, but I got your address from the hospital,” she said.

“That’s fine,” Takao swallowed.  “We’re just sitting down to breakfast, if you’d like to join us.”  But she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but we haven’t the time,” Agent Suzuki looked almost as tired as they felt.  “I’m afraid we need to be on our way.”

“May I see your credentials, please, Suzuki-san?” Midorima stood up.  She nodded and handed him her identification.  They looked official, but one could never be too careful.  “I’m sorry about that,” he bowed.

“No, I completely understand,” she looked over at Korogi.  “Hello there, Little One,” she greeted and the baby cooed.  “Does she have any personal effects?”

“Just her carrier and the clothes she’s wearing,” Takao answered.  “But we received some formula and baby food from the hospital if you’d like them.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” she gave another tired smile.  Suzuki leaned over and picked up Korogi.  The baby reached up for her glasses and Midorima felt a pang in his chest.  “Officer Tanaka, if you could get the child’s seat for me?”

“I’ve got it,” Takao grabbed it first and set it on the table so Agent Suzuki could place Korogi inside. 

“Thanks again,” she bowed and grabbed the diaper bag.  The policeman picked up the carrier and they started to walk out of the apartment.

“Wait!” Takao called and they turned around.  “We almost forgot this,” he grabbed the cricket from the high chair and gave it to Korogi, who happily accepted it and put it in her mouth.  He smiled down at her.  “Be good for the officers, okay?”

“Hmmah…” she laughed around the toy.

“Have a good day,” Agent Suzuki bowed one last time before they left the apartment, shutting the door behind them.  Takao slowly walked back over to the stove to tend to the pancakes.

“Well, I’m glad they were finally able to come for her,” Midorima said, clearing his throat.  “Now she’ll be taken care of.”  Takao didn’t respond.  “We knew it was only for the night,” he added, but his husband still didn’t seem to acknowledge him.  “Kazu…”

Midorima walked over to him.

“The pancakes are burning,” the green-haired man whispered, wrapping his arms around his husband’s waist.  He felt Takao’s body quake, the shorter man brought a hand to his mouth as silent sobs shook his body.  Midorima squeezed him tighter and rested his chin on Takao’s shoulder, watching as his husband’s tears slid down his cheeks and landed with a plop on the ruined pancakes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay...I lied. This will be done in THREE parts. Sorry for the angst, but you know how I just HAVE to have a happy ending by now, right? Hang in there!


	17. Lost & Found III - MidoTaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this turned out to be so long... eheh. This is the last part of the MidoTaka, I promise!

Takao stared blankly into the pan, comforted only slightly by his husband’s arms around him.  He knew it was only for the night, but he didn’t think that the Welfare Office would pick her up quite so early, let alone come to their apartment.  He heaved a sigh and felt Midorima let go of him.

“Shin-chan?” he asked, turning the stove off and wiping his eyes.

“I’ve got to leave for work,” the taller man said, adjusting his tie and walking over to the closet to grab his jacket.

“I thought you didn’t work until this afternoon?” Takao furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Yes, well,” Midorima walked back over and kissed Takao’s forehead.  “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before my shift.”

“Oh,” Takao lowered his gaze.  He was hoping that his husband would stick around a bit longer to comfort him.  Especially because he had the entire day off and had nothing to take his attention away from the fact that Korogi was gone now.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” the green-haired man lifted Takao’s chin and kissed him on the lips.  “Try not to let it bother you too much.”

“Easier said than done, Shin-chan,” he gave a watery smile.  “But I’ll do my best.”  Midorima nodded and, after kissing him one more time, he grabbed his medical bag and left for the train station.

Takao moved back to the stove and reached for the pan, tossing the burnt cakes into the trash.  He walked over to the sink and turned on the tap.  He heaved another sigh and tried desperately to ignore his rapidly clouding vision.

After the dishes were clean, he started tidying up the apartment.  Somehow he and Midorima had managed to trash the place in their attempts to soothe their baby.

“No,” he said aloud, “not ours.”  He shook his head and picked up the various burp cloths and empty bottles.  He dumped the bottles in the sink and took the cloths and blankets to Korogi’s room.  Again, he shook his head.  This was their future baby’s room.  Korogi wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

He put the soiled laundry in the basket and stripped the mattress of the crib sheet.  After throwing them in the laundry, Takao emptied the diaper pail and walked back into the kitchen to wash the bottles.

It all took less than fifteen minutes.

Now all Takao had to do was sit and wait for the washer to finish.  He almost wished that they still lived in their first apartment.  Then he could have walked down to the shared laundry room and maybe run into someone.

But he was alone.

He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and looked over the clock.  It was barely ten.

Takao sat down on the couch and closed his eyes.  His twelve-hour shift from the day before and his sleepless night had finally caught up with him.  He had just started to drift off when he heard a baby crying.  Silvery blue eyes snapped open and he shot up.

“I’ve got her!” he called and ran toward the baby’s room.  He was nearly there when his dash slowed to a crawl.  He took one more step and stared at the empty crib before he scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.  “Stupid…” he shook his head and walked back out into the living room.

He heard the baby’s cry again and then the soothing voice of their neighbor across the hall.  The sounds faded and she and her son made their way down the hallway. 

Takao sighed and sat back down on the couch.  He turned on the television and started flipping through the channels.

‘National Swim Team Captain Mikoshiba and wife Gou are expecting their third child next month-’

-Click-

‘The visiting pandas at the zoo welcome their first baby since arriving from China-’

-Click-

‘In all my years as an entomologist-’

“Well, this is better,” Takao sat back and pulled a throw pillow onto his lap as he watched the show.

‘-the first time I’ve seen so many crickets in one place-’

“Ugh!” he screamed and shut the television off.  He tossed the remote onto the coffee table and fell to the side, hugging the pillow tightly and closing his eyes.  Maybe it would be better if he took a nap, after all.  Everything reminded him of Korogi.  He’d known the baby less than twenty-four hours and she’d already captured his heart.  He was a fool to take her in, knowing that she’d be taken away so soon, but he didn’t regret it.  He took a deep breath and let sleep take him.

It was nearly four hours later when he awoke.  He opened a bleary eye and searched for whatever was making the noise that disrupted his nap.  It was his cellphone.  Takao sat up and stretched before grabbing his cell and answering it.

“Hello?” his voice was hoarse.

‘Sorry to bother you, Takao-san,’ the voice on the other end of the line sounded familiar.  ‘I just wanted to ask if Midorima-sensei will be coming in to work tomorrow.’  Takao placed the voice.  It was the nurse who worked in the scheduling department.

“I don’t see why not,” Takao answered, stifling a yawn.  He reached a hand under his shirt and scratched his stomach.  “Why don’t you just ask him?”

‘Well, I would, but I can’t get through to him on his cell phone,’ the nurse responded.  Takao opened his mouth to speak, but she continued.  ‘And since you live together, I thought you could ask him, if that’s alright.’

“Yeah, but couldn’t you just page him on the intercom?” the dark-haired man rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

‘It would be hard for me to page him from here,’ she laughed.  ‘Your house is out of our range.’

“Out of your…?” he furrowed his brow.

‘Anyway, if he’s sleeping right now, could you just have him give us a call back?’ the nurse asked.  ‘We just need to know if he’s feeling better,’ she went on.  ‘He must be pretty sick to call off, it’s so unlike him.’

“Ah, yes,” Takao cleared his throat.  “I’ll make sure to have him call you.”

‘Thank you,’ she chirped and hung up.  Takao held his phone out in front of him and blinked in confusion.  Hadn’t Midorima left early for work?  Maybe something had happened.  But she said he’d called in sick.  Takao frowned and dialed the only number he knew by heart.

His husband had some explaining to do.

Takao paced back and forth as he waited for Midorima to answer his cell.  After the seventh ring, it went to voicemail.  Again.  He’d tried calling him five times with the same result.  Takao tossed his cellphone onto the couch and threw his arms up angrily.

“What the going _on_?!” he glowered and fell onto the couch with a huff.  He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his fallen phone.  “He’d better have _some_ excuse when he comes home.”

*~*

Midorima would have whistled to himself as he walked down the hallway to their apartment door, that is, if he didn’t think such a thing was a waste of energy.  But he was in a good mood. 

It was nearly five o’clock.  He knew that his shift at the hospital was supposed to end at one in the morning, but since he’d already missed four hours, he figured he’d just take the rest of the day.  Midorima felt bad for calling out of work, but, if everything went according to plan, it would be worth it.

He put his key in the lock and, before he had a chance to turn the knob, the door opened, revealing Takao, who looked livid.

“Well, well, you’re looking quite well for a sick person,” the dark-haired man raised an eyebrow.

“How-”

“The hospital called,” Takao stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Any reason you called off of work and, oh, I don’t know, _lied_ to me?”

“I can explain-”

“Well it had better be a darn good explanation,” Takao put his hands on his hips.  “I really needed you today,” he looked ready to cry.  “If you weren’t going to go to work, the least you could do was stay here with me,” he wiped a stray tear that had escaped and continued his tirade.  “Just where _were_ you all day?”

“I’ll admit that it took a bit longer than I’d anticipated,” Midorima said.  “But, I wanted to make sure everything was done properly.”

“What was done properly?” Takao drew his brows down.  “What are you talking about?  Where have you been?  You skipped work, I can’t believe you, I-”

“I went to the Welfare Office,” the taller man explained.  “It took hours of paperwork and jumping through hoops, but once they get the official surrender of parental rights from her mother, she’ll be ours.”

“Wait…what?”  Silvery eyes widened.

“That should only take a couple of days,” Midorima went on, ignoring him.  “In less than a week, Korogi will be back home,” he gave a rare smile, “where she belongs.”

“Shin-chan, if this is a joke, I’ll never forgive you,” Takao’s eyes filled with tears.

“I sent out the paperwork for her to be added to our family registry this afternoon,” the green-haired man adjusted his glasses before adding, “We weren’t really agreeing on any of those surrogates anyway…”

Takao jumped him, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist, peppering the taller man’s face with kisses until he finally planted one on his lips.

“I love you,” Takao breathed.  “Shin-chan, I love you,” he leaned in for another kiss and felt his husband’s arms come to wrap around him.  When they finally came up for air, Takao leaned his forehead against Midorima’s.  “She’s ours?” he asked.

“She’s ours.”

*~*Omake*~*

The moment Takao’s alarm went off, he sat up in bed and threw his legs over the edge.  He shut off the blaring noise and stood up.

“Kazu…what are you doing?” Midorima groaned from his side of the bed.

“Today’s the day,” the shorter man sang as he walked into their attached bathroom.  His voice was muffled by the door.  “Agent Suzuki is going to bring Korogi-chan over at nine.”

“I understand that,” his husband said gruffly, “but it’s six o’clock in the morning.”

“Well,” Takao reappeared in the bedroom, “I’m excited,” he laughed.  “Besides,” he added, “what if they come early?”

“Why on Earth would they-” but Midorima was interrupted by a knock on their front door.  Takao looked over at him excitedly, only half-dressed.  “You can’t be serious…”

“They’re here!” Takao said giddily.  He threw on the rest of his outfit and ran out of the bedroom.  Midorima was not too far behind him.  When the green-haired man made it into the living room, Takao was already answering the door.

“Midorima Family?” a man with a clipboard asked.

“Yes!” Takao nearly shouted.

“Okay boys, bring it in,” the man called over his shoulder.  Midorima watched his husband jump out of the way as two men walked into their apartment carrying a basket so large that he was certain they could both fit inside and still have room for more.  “Sign here, please,” the first man held the clipboard out to Takao, who signed it without looking, still shocked at the size of the basket.  “Have a nice day,” the man said and all three deliverymen left the apartment.

“What is this?” Takao asked, shutting the door and walking toward the monstrosity.

“It appears to be a gift basket,” Midorima looked over at the basket, which was nearly as big as their couch.  It was filled with everything from fresh fruit to baked goods, baby clothes to diapers, bottles to teething rings.

“Who is it from?” the shorter man’s gaze didn’t leave the giant pink ribbon at the top.  Midorima stepped forward and grabbed the card that was attached.  He opened the envelope and pursed his lips.

“I recognize this symbol,” he flashed the front of the card, but it didn’t look familiar to Takao.  The taller man opened the card and read the message aloud:

_“Congratulations on your newest addition!  Please enjoy these gifts, courtesy of the Akashi Group.”_

He looked up at Takao and raised his brows.

“But how did he…?”

“He knows absolutely everything,” Midorima sighed and rubbed his temples.

“At least he has good taste,” Takao laughed and then began unwrapping their gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! Happy ending get~
> 
> So, I know I need to write the AkaFuri wedding (but writing the chapters with all them is like juggling chainsaws...) Okay, maybe that's a bit melodramatic, haha. It is tough with so many characters, though.  
> I also have an AoKise+Momo one that I want to write, but we would need to do a pretty big time-jump.
> 
> Ah, we'll see. I'm just glad to have this MidoTaka done~


	18. Wedding Planning III - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had every intention of writing the wedding chapter... And I even started writing it...  
> ...but I ended up writing this little pre-wedding drabble instead, haha.  
> I put "AkaFuri" but it's really "Furi and his brother being all sibling-y (with a side of Akashi-papa)"  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!!

Furihata Kouki looked at his reflection in the mirror, staring at the nervous man who was shaking slightly in his white tuxedo.

Today was the day.

He straightened his tie for the fifteenth time in half as many minutes and tried to tame his unruly hair.  He swallowed and took a step back, giving himself one last once over.

Furihata was glad that he’d gone with the tux.  The traditional formal wear – though very thoroughly appreciated by his fiancé, as the redhead had reaffirmed huskily in his ear on not one, but several nights – just did not suit him.

He turned to make sure there was nothing marring the pristine whiteness that was the seat of his pants – because, let’s face it, in less than half an hour, every person he knew and held dear would be staring at it while he and Akashi exchanged vows.  Okay, maybe not staring at _it_ specifically, but if he’d sat in something, the whole room would know. 

Furihata was roused from his preoccupation by a light rapping on the door.

“Come in,” he called, his wavering voice betraying his nerves.

“How’s it going, lil’ bro?” his older brother walked in with a huge smile on his face.

“Kousuke,” Furihata felt some of his apprehension subside.  “It’s going fine,” he paused, “I guess.”

“I still can’t believe my baby brother is getting married before me,” the taller man sighed and ran a hand through his hair, just a shade darker than Furihata’s own.  “My girlfriend is pissed, I’ll have you know.”

“Well, you have been dating for, like, five years,” he raised his brows.

“Yeah, but you know what they say,” Kousuke waggled his eye brows, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”  Furihata shot him an unimpressed look.  “Okay, okay, I get it,” he put his hands up in defense.

“Buy the cow already, Kousuke,” Furihata rolled his eyes and began messing with his tie again.

“Here, let me,” his brother reached forward and straightened it.  Furihata turned to look at himself in the mirror.  “It’s _fine_ , Kouki.”  He could hear the eye-roll in his older brother’s tone.  “Besides, Akashi-kun is so head-over-heels for you, you could probably walk down the aisle in nothing but that tie and he’d be happy.”  He paused, with a chuckle.  “Actually, he’d probably be happier.”

“You’re such a pig,” Furihata scoffed.  “Maybe I was wrong.  You should cut Minami-chan loose,” he fiddled with his tie again.  “She’s too good for you,” he turned and raised an eyebrow, “milk or no.”

“What’s all this about farm animals?” Akashi senior walked into the dressing room.

“How long were you outside listening, Akashi-san?” the elder Furihata son asked.

“Long enough,” he grinned.  “And I’ve asked you to call me Masaomi, Kousuke-kun,” his grin widened.  “We’re going to be family, you know.”

“Yes, Masaomi-san,” Kousuke scratched the back of his head, obviously uncomfortable.

“Now,” Masaomi clapped his hands together, “where are your parents, Kouki?”

“Actually, that’s what I came here to tell him,” Kousuke turned toward his little brother.  “Mom’s locked herself in the bathroom, crying and saying something about her baby being too young to be getting married and Dad’s spent the last twenty minutes trying to coax her out.”

“I can help, if you’d like,” Masaomi volunteered.  “I’ve been told I’m something of genius when it comes to persuading young ladies.”

“Ooh, go with that,” Kousuke gave him a thumbs-up.  “Mom’ll be out the door in an instant if she hears that a rich corporate mogul thinks she’s a ‘young lady’,” he winked.

“Well then, I’ll be off,” he made to exit, but turned back to address Furihata.  “And Kouki,” he smiled, “you look stunning.”  The younger brunet felt his cheeks blaze at the compliment.  One would think that he’d have grown accustomed to it by now.  “Well, I’m off to charm your mother,” he waved as he shut the door behind him.

“I honestly didn’t expect that,” Furihata blinked in surprise.

“Expect what?” Kousuke raised an eyebrow.

“ _My_ family to be the most melodramatic,” he pursed his lips and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, well, don’t forget,” his brother crossed his arms over his chest and then jacked a thumb over his shoulder toward where, only seconds earlier, Masaomi had been standing.  “ _That_ is about to become your family, too.”

“He’s not that bad,” Furihata chuckled and looked back at his reflection, messing with his bangs and trying to make them do something, _anything_ he might like.

“Easy for you to say,” Kousuke frowned.  “He didn’t grab _your_ ass in the elevator.”  The younger brunet turned, shock flickering over his features.

“I’m sure it was probably just an accident,” he brushed it aside and went back to his hair.

“And I quote:  ‘Are all the members of the Furihata family this handsome?’ End quote,” Kousuke’s face soured.  “He hasn’t done anything to you, has he?”

“Oh, so now you’re worried about me?” he turned toward his older brother.

“Well, you are my baby brother, after all,” Kousuke rubbed the nape of his neck and looked to the side.  “Plus, Mom would never let me hear the end of it.”

“And there it is,” Furihata snorted.  “Well, you don’t have to worry about my _father-in-law_ ,” he stressed the title, “hitting on me.”

“Yeah, well, I just hope his son is less touchy-feely in public,” Kousuke wrapped his arms around himself.  “It’s bad enough imagining what you two do in private, but I don’t want to see him feeling my brother up in front of Mom, Dad, and Gran-Gran.”

“Gran-Gran aside,” Furihata raised his brows. “Sei is a very respectful man.”  He laughed. “Though, I’m interested in knowing just _what_ you’ve been imagining my fiancé doing to me in private.”

“Wait, that’s not what I-”

“Furihata-kun?” a young lady with pink hair opened the door and poked her head in.

“Momoi-san,” the brunet smiled at her.

“Your mother finally unlocked the door,” Momoi grinned.  “Your father is waiting down the hall to give you away.”  Furihata felt his pulse quicken.  He’d been so busy going back and forth with his brother, he hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

“Hey,” Kousuke slapped him on the back.  “Don’t sweat it.  You love the guy, right?”

“Of course,” he answered immediately.

“Then don’t worry about your hair or your tie or Gran-Gran,” Kousuke chuckled and then grew serious, “Just keep your eyes focused on him.”  Furihata felt all of his anxieties melt away as he pictured those crimson eyes looking at him lovingly from the altar.

“Okay,” he said.  “I’m ready.”

“Great,” Momoi beamed and motioned for them to follow her.  She was walking a few feet in front of them, her hips swaying from side to side.

“So,” Kousuke cleared his throat and whispered, “Who’s the fox?”

“Momoi-san?” Furihata asked.

“Yeah, now that’s the kind of girl I could-”

“Momocchi, there you are!” Kise exclaimed and walked over to her.  She turned to face him.  It was then that Kousuke saw her profile for the first time, her bump clearly visible and showing the five months of her gestation so far.  “And hello to you, too,” he put a hand on her belly and leaned down to give it a kiss.

“Ki-chan, you’re embarrassing me,” she giggled and swatted at his head.

“Yeah, don’t do that shit to Satsuki in public,” Aomine appeared behind her.  “Especially when we know that the baby’s mine,” he rested his chin on her shoulder and hugged her around her middle, one hand rubbing her bump.

“We don’t know that yet,” the blonde pouted.  “There’s a fifty percent chance that it’s mine, remember?”

“Oh yeah?” Aomine raised an eyebrow.  “Well, if your swimmers are anything like you, there’s no way they could keep up with mine,” he challenged.  “The only one who can beat me is-”

“Enough!” Momoi shouted.  “You’re ruining Furihata-kun’s wedding day,” she stamped her foot.  “Apologize,” she smacked them on the backs of their heads.  They bowed and mumbled their apologies.  Then they all walked the remaining length of the hallway.  “Alright, here we are,” Momoi turned to Furihata.  “Good luck!  We’ll see you out there.”  And with that, the three left to go find their seats.

“So…” Kousuke finally spoke.

“Yeah?”

“She’s taken then?” his older brother asked and Furihata rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also sneaked some AoKise+Momo in there~  
> The wedding will be in the next chapter!! (Well, the wedding and the reception) Please look forward to it!


	19. The Wedding - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When will I admit that I'm a fat liar?  
> Well, half-liar.  
> Here is the long-awaited wedding chapter and it's the fluffiest thing ever, omg.
> 
> I know I said I was going to write this together with the reception...but I went too hard on my Akashi pov, so...next chapter, I promise (or this would have been away too long anyway)

Akashi Seijuurou did not get nervous.  He didn’t _do_ anxious.  And he certainly didn’t understand how people could become frantic.  So, when he started shifting his weight from foot to foot and his hands just wouldn’t stop sweating no matter how many times he wiped them on the formal hakama pants of his wedding kimono, he was puzzled.

“Your lucky item isn’t a box of tissues, is it, Shintarou?” he looked over at his best man, positioned to his side on the altar.  People were still shuffling in and finding their seats.

“Why?  Feel like crying?” the green-haired man asked, adjusting his glasses.

“No, it’s my,” he was keeping his voice to a whisper, “It’s my hands.”

“Your hands?”  The taller man quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes, my hands,” Akashi drew his brows down.  It wasn’t that hard to understand, was it?

“And what’s wrong with your hands?” Midorima was testing his patience.

“They won’t stop sweating,” the redhead admitted.

“Why, Akashi Seijuurou,” the bespectacled man’s brows disappeared beneath his bangs, “Are you nervous?”

“What’s with that way of speaking?” Akashi frowned.  “That husband of yours has been rubbing off on you,” he gestured toward the second row where Takao was holding their daughter, Korogi, in his arms and animatedly chatting with Momoi, who’d just sat down.

“And your fiancé seems to have rubbed off on you, as well,” Midorima flashed him a rare smile.  “The nerves and all,” he added as if Akashi didn’t already understand the jab.  Crimson eyes just bore into him, waiting.  “But, to answer your question, no, today’s lucky item is, coincidentally, rings,” he held up the small, black velvet box with his left hand.

They were silent for a bit.

“Why are you nervous?” Midorima asked, eyes scanning the room in an attempt to avoid drawing attention to their conversation.

“I’m not nervous,” Akashi frowned.  “I’m just…” he trailed off, pausing to think.  “Over-eager, I suppose.”  The taller man pursed his lips at that, but didn’t say anything in response.  After all, he understood what that felt like.  Again, they looked at Takao.  The dark-haired man had handed Korogi off to Aomine, who was holding her in the most awkward of ways, a nervous smile on his tanned face.  Kise was making silly faces and wagging his finger in front of the baby’s face.  She reached up and grabbed it and the two men melted.

“Could be worse,” Midorima mused.  “Your face could look like that right now,” he snorted and Akashi watched as Aomine made the goofiest, love-struck face at his blond husband.  He didn’t get a chance to retort, though, because the music, which had faded into the background, suddenly grew louder.

The double doors at the back of the room opened and Akashi felt his pulse quicken.  He wasn’t nervous, mind you.  Just…  Well, what did one call it when it felt like you were going to vomit your heart out through your lungs? 

Everyone turned in their seats as his father walked down the aisle, Furihata’s mother on his arm.  She looked much better than when he’d seen her earlier.  The color had returned to her cheeks and she was smiling.  They made it to the front and Masaomi kissed the back of her hand before they split and sat on either side of the aisle in the first row.  His father must have noticed him staring because he winked at him.

Furihata’s older brother was next.  He was assisting an older woman down the aisle.  The matriarch of the Furihata family.  ‘Gran-Gran,’ he vaguely remembered her being called.  When they made it to the end of the aisle, they both sat on the same side Furihata’s mother had.

Then the music changed.  Akashi felt his heart leap into his throat.

This was it.

Everyone stood up and faced toward the double doors.  Akashi swallowed and closed his eyes, willing his pulse to slow down.  When he opened them again, his fiancé was standing at the other end of the aisle.  He looked amazing.  The cut of the tuxedo flattered his frame even more than the kimono had.

Furihata was looking at his father, who, with a steady hand on his lower back, was escorting his son down the aisle.  Then those chocolate brown orbs focused their gaze on Akashi and his heart skipped a beat.  Furihata gave a shy smile, which Akashi hoped he’d returned.  Though, his face felt pretty numb, like just after one had received novocaine for a dental procedure.  Not that Akashis got cavities, mind you.

Not quickly enough, yet all too soon, his fiancé was standing right in front of him.  Furihata’s father gently pushed his son forward and, not surprisingly, the brunet tripped, catching himself and shooting Akashi an embarrassed smile.

And just like that, all the tension was gone. 

“I’m such a klutz,” Furihata whispered and gave an awkward chuckle.  Akashi held his hands out and the brunet took them.

“Yes,” the redhead said and before his fiancé’s face could contort into annoyed indignation, he added, “The most handsome klutz I’ve ever met.”

The rest of the ceremony was a blur.  Before he knew it, Midorima was handing them the rings and they were sealing their vows with a kiss.  Akashi gently cradled the back of his husband’s head as he gave him what he thought was a chaste kiss, with just the right amount of what one could call ‘Church Tongue.’  Then they were walking, practically running down the aisle as their friends and family cheered.

It was a bit later, when Akashi and Furihata were waiting outside of the ballroom for their names to be called, that they finally had a chance to speak again.

“It was a nice ceremony, don’t you think?” the brunet asked, fiddling with his suit.  They’d changed into more comfortable clothing for the reception.

“To be quite honest,” Akashi cleared his throat, “I don’t remember much of it.”  Furihata raised his brows in surprise.  “It’s not that it wasn’t amazing or anything,” the redhead reached forward and cupped his husband’s cheek.  “I was just so focused on you and how wonderful you looked and the fact that you’re really mine.”  He felt the cheek heat up before he saw the blush on the shorter man’s face.

“Sei…” he pouted and it was the cutest thing Akashi had ever seen.  Of course, he wasn’t going to compound his husband’s embarrassment by saying that out loud.

Suddenly, the doors to the ballroom opened and they heard Akashi’s father’s voice on the microphone.

“It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you, for the first time as a married couple, my son and his husband, Akashi Seijuurou and Kouki,” he gestured toward them and they took their cue to enter the room.  “Please join me in congratulating the happy couple!”  He added. 

It was all flashes of cameras and applause then, enough to make one’s head spin.  Akashi wrapped an arm around his husband’s waist and pulled him close, kissing his cheek before waving at their friends and family.

No, Akashi Seijuurou did not get nervous.  He didn’t _do_ anxious.  But he totally understood overjoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sappy ending is sappy! I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations!
> 
> And, yeah, definitely showing my age with that 'Church Tongue' Wedding Singer reference, haha.
> 
> Next up is the reception. Because I wanted something big and funny to happen, but I didn't want it to ruin their wedding, so...it can ruin their reception instead! Just kidding...but the next chapter will have everyone in it, so get excited~ XD


	20. The Wedding Reception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you all to know that I had a post-it note at the ready so I could make sure I listed all the characters in this chapter. There are a few that I didn't mention by name, but you can assume they were there. 
> 
> Also, over 4000 hits. Thank you!!! You guys are amazing!

After the initial eruption during the newlywed Akashis’ entrance, the reception simmered down to a quiet, more intimate party, despite having over four hundred guests in attendance.  After thirteen failed attempts at making a proper seating chart, Masaomi gave up and decided to forgo the banquet tables all together.  Instead, there were chairs lining the walls of the ballroom and small, circular tall-top tables scattered about the room, where guests could set down their drinks and appetizer plates.

At one such table, Midorima and Takao were chatting with Aomine and Kise.

“What a nice ceremony, right?” Takao rocked on his heels, gently bouncing Korogi in her carrier attached to his front.  “My Shin-chan looked so sexy in his tuxedo,” he purred, leaning closer to his husband.

“You guys are gross,” Aomine rolled his eyes.

“This from the man making goo-goo eyes at his husband during the entire ceremony,” Midorima said, lifting a hand to adjust his glasses.

“Nice one, Shin-chan!” Takao gave him a thumbs up.  Immediately, the green-haired man froze.

“Ugh, maybe Akashi was right,” he blinked and then shook his head.

“Right about what?” his husband pouted up at him.

“Anyway,” Kise interjected.  “I’m so glad we were able to meet Korogi-chan,” he clasped his hands together.  “Watching Aominecchi hold her got me even more excited for our baby.”

“If that’s even possible,” Aomine looked over at his husband and then gave a gentle smile, which, if Midorima or Takao had seen it, they didn’t say anything.

“Speaking of which,” Takao began.  “Momo-chan looks great.”  Without looking he moved an hors d'oeuvres just as Korogi was reaching for it.  “How far along is she again?”

“21 weeks,” Kise answered.

“And she’s been in Japan by herself this whole time?” Midorima probably didn’t mean for his tone to come across as derogatory.

“Listen, she’s the one who couldn’t leave her precious job,” Aomine crossed his arms over his chest.

“Now, now, Aominecchi,” Kise soothed and then turned toward the Midorima family.  “It’s a sore subject,” he explained.  “But, she will be moving out to New York in a few months and she’ll be staying with us until her maternity leave is over.”

“She should have just come to live with us when we invited her,” his husband’s mouth formed into its usual frown.

“We can’t ask her to turn her life completely upside-down,” Kise’s expression mirrored Aomine’s.  “We’re already asking a lot.”

Seeming to sense the can of worms he’d inadvertently opened, Midorima cleared his throat.

“Have you seen any ultrasound pictures yet?” the green-haired man asked.

“Yes!” Kise immediately whipped out his wallet and an overabundance of photos tumbled out in their frosted plastic sleeves.

“Ooh!” Takao pushed his husband out of the way so he, and Korogi, of course, could get a better look.  “Do you know what you’re having?”

Kise and Aomine spoke at the same time.

“It’s a surprise-”  “A boy.”

“Aominecchi!” Kise whined.  “You mean you _knew_?!”

“Well, yeah, Satsuki told me when I asked,” the taller man stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“We promised each other that we’d wait until the baby was born!” the blond’s face puckered and he stomped his foot.

“Yeah, but I was curious,” Aomine admitted.  “Besides,” he held up one of the pictures, “it’s kind of hard to miss his doo-dad,” he pointed it out.

“Aominecchi!” Kise screeched.

“Pretty big, too,” Aomine continued, undeterred.  “Looks like he’s mine, after all.”  The blond erupted in a few more noises that could rival a menstruating honey badger.

Midorima and Takao exchanged glances.

On the other side of the ballroom, Himuro was being bombarded by the majority of the secretarial pool from the Akashi Group.

“What a precious baby,” one of them said, leaning forward and letting the strap of her dress slide down her shoulder.  “Are you a single father?”

“No, actually I’m here with-” the dark-haired man tried to answer, but another girl interrupted him.

“She looks just like you!” she put her hands to the sides of her face in awe.  “What’s her name?”

“Tatsumi,” Himuro said.  “She’s named after both me and-”

“Oh, and what’s your name?” yet another girl chimed in.

They continued their barrage of questions and, although Himuro was used to getting this kind of attention, it was getting to be a bit much.  As if his daughter could sense his mounting frustration, Tatsumi began to cry.  The women around him jumped backwards, like they’d been burned.

“Aww, what’s the matter?” a familiar feminine voice asked.  Himuro looked up and smiled.

“Alex,” his face showed relief.  The blonde walked forward and held her hands out.  Himuro gently placed his daughter in her arms.  She rocked her until Tatsumi’s cries died down and the infant fell asleep.

“Now,” Alex looked up, “Which one of you lovely ladies made my grandbaby cry?”  The girls held their hands up in defense, some clearing their throats awkwardly.  “I see you’re still as popular as ever,” she smiled, leaning forward to kiss her protégé.  Himuro raised his hand, pressing a finger to her lips.

“Come now, Alex,” he chastised, “What have we talked about?”

“No kissing,” she mumbled around his finger.  Alex laughed and pulled back.  They turned and saw that the crowd of women had disappeared.  “She’s gotten so big and I just saw her last month,” Alex held her close.  “She’s so beautiful and my job is making me miss all her milestones,” she lamented.

“It’s fine,” Himuro shook his head.  “We understand.”

“But I even missed your baby shower,” she sighed heavily.

“Somebody’s gotta teach those kids a thing or two about basketball,” he smiled, adding, “Coach.”

“And we won the Mini-Cup, too,” Alex put her fingers up, making a v-sign.  “Best fifth-graders in all of L.A.” she added proudly.  “But I do miss Tatsumi,” her green eyes softened.  “She really is so beautiful, Tatsuya.”

“I know,” he said, practically puffing his chest out.

“It seems like everyone is having babies lately,” the ex-WNBA player mused, looking to where Riko and Momoi were talking, smiling politely in greeting.  “Seirin’s ex-coach looks ready to pop,” Alex said.  The two pregnant women seemed to be getting along until Momoi reached forward and grabbed Riko’s breasts, weighing them in her hands.  They couldn’t hear what she said, but whatever it was, it caused the brunette to lunge at her.  It took both Kiyoshi and Hyuuga to hold her back.  Momoi laughed and daintily put a hand over her mouth.

“So,” Alex looked away from the scene.  “How’s Papa Bear handling fatherhood?” she pointed her chin over Himuro’s shoulder.  He turned and saw Murasakibara leaning over the bar next to Kuroko, who looked tiny in comparison.

“He’s loves it,” he turned back toward her.  “Sometimes, at night,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “I get up to feed the baby and he’s already in there, looking absurdly big in our rocking chair, holding her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.”  He sighed dreamily, probably not realizing he’d done it.

“Well, she is,” Alex pointed out.  “You picked a good man, Tatsuya.”

He looked back over at Murasakibara, who waved.  He waved back.

“I know.”

Over at the bar, Murasakibara was busy eating from the tray of garnishes.  The buffet was refilled fairly regularly, but there was just something about the taste of lime wedges and maraschino cherries.

“Hey, Kuro-chin,” he drawled, “what’s wrong?”  Kuroko didn’t answer.  He was seated on one of the tall barstools, his hands in his lap and his chin against the cool laminate of the bar’s countertop.  The empty champagne flute next to him was taken away and replaced with a fresh one.  Kuroko sat up long enough to drain it before he leaned back over the counter.  “Kuro-chin, maybe you should slow down,” Murasakibara frowned.  The shorter man still didn’t respond.  Murasakibara followed Kuroko’s gaze to the buffet table.

Kagami was grabbing from a huge platter of bacon-wrapped somethings, alternating between putting them on his plate and into his mouth.  There was a young woman next to him that Murasakibara didn’t recognize.  Of course, Akashi’s father had invited everyone from his company and she certainly looked like the career-type.  She suddenly threw her head back, laughing at whatever Kagami had said before putting a petite hand on his broad chest.

“Kuro-chin…” violet eyes shifted back to his former teammate.  But Kuroko was ignoring him, picking up another fresh glass of champagne and downing it without a second thought.

Near the front of the room, Akashi was chatting with a couple of his old teammates from Rakuzan, a gentle, almost peaceful smile on his face.

“I’m so happy for you, Sei-chan,” Mibuchi hugged him.  He pulled back and grabbed his husband’s arm.  “Married life is the best, right, Eikichi?”  Nebuya nodded.  “And that Furi of yours is so adorable,” he gushed.  “Don’t you think, Eikichi?” he turned toward Nebuya again, who was looking to the side.  “Eikichi,” Mibuchi’s voice was suddenly stern.

“What, babe?” the taller man looked back at him.

“You were staring at the buffet again, weren’t you?” Mibuchi frowned.

“Well, I didn’t really get a chance to try those,” he pointed toward the platter at the end.  “And if I don’t hurry, Kagami is going to finish them.”  Mibuchi rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” he sighed.  “Go.”

“Thanks, babe,” Nebuya kissed his cheek.  “Love ya.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mibuchi turned back toward Akashi.

“The best, huh?” the redhead chuckled.

“Usually,” the taller man sighed.  “Anyway, Furi looked beautiful in that white tuxedo, didn’t he?”

“He’d hate it if he found out you said that,” Akashi followed his friend’s gaze toward his husband.  The brunet was laughing with his friends from Seirin, a light blush tinting his cheeks.  “But, he is beautiful, isn’t he?”

“You’re smitten, Sei-chan,” Mibuchi chortled.

“Yes,” Akashi’s gaze lingered on his husband before turning back toward the other man.  “I am.”  He sighed happily.  “Anyway, I’d better go say hello to my former captain,” he waved at Nijimura, who momentarily let go of the back of Haizaki’s suit jacket to return the gesture.  The gray-haired man tried to sneak away, but Nijimura caught him.  “Before he commits a crime,” he laughed.

But Akashi barely made it halfway across the room before he heard a crash and someone shouting.

Everyone in the ballroom froze and turned toward the commotion.  The buffet table was turned onto its side and Kagami was tipped over, nearly falling onto it.  He caught himself, eyes wide.

The shouting continued.  The voice was familiar, but somehow not.  Like no one had ever heard it at that volume, filled with that amount of anger before.

Next to the shocked Kagami stood Kuroko, coming out of a crouch like he’d just done one of his ignite passes.  Kagami, who’d gotten over his initial shock, held a hand to his stomach, as he doubled over in pain.

“What the Hell, Tetsuya?” he groaned, his voice echoing through the quiet ballroom.  The previous shouting had ended and it allowed everyone to come to the conclusion that it was Kuroko who had been behind it.  Kagami stood up to his full height.  “What’s the matter with you?”

His shadow was breathing heavily, his face flushed.

“You should know, _Kagami-kun_ ,” Kuroko slurred, obviously inebriated.  He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, hot tears running down his face.  “You insensitive jerk!” he shouted and ran out of the ballroom. 

Kagami stood there, glued to his spot.  The silence of the room slowly started filling with hushed conversations.  He could feel the accusatory gazes of the other members of the Generation of Miracles burning holes into the back of his head. 

“Tetsu…ya…?” he blinked, staring at the empty space where Kuroko had been standing only seconds before.  Coming to his senses, he turned toward Akashi, who was only a few steps away, and bowed.  “Excuse me,” he said quickly before running after his husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What happened?! KagaKuro in the next chapter~
> 
> This ended up being a lot shorter than I thought it would be. How 'bout that?  
> I hope it's not typo-palooza. I wrote this at my family's house and I was distracted by the tv, haha. I normally write in silence.


	21. Jealousy - KagaKuro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this story even about anymore? Babies aren't even mentioned in this chapter, haha.

Kagami had only just made it out of the ballroom when someone shouted his name.  Or, at least, a variation of it.

“Bakagami!” he heard Aomine’s voice from behind him and he turned.  “What the Hell did you do to Testu?” the tanned man looked pissed.

“I have no idea,” the redhead answered, too worried about his husband to fight with the other man right now.  “But I’m going to find him.”

“I’m coming with you,” Aomine demanded.

“Please let me handle this on my own,” Kagami said.  “He’s my husband,” he added.

“Baka-”

“Listen, I understand your concern, but I don’t go and follow after you when Kise gets upset and storms off,” he said firmly.

“I kinda wish you would,” Aomine said, perhaps an attempt at lightening the mood.  “He does it often enough.”  He chuckled.  That eased the tension in the air a bit.  “I’ve never seen Tetsu like that before,” he admitted.  “I’m worried.”

“I get it,” Kagami said.  “I do, but,” he turned toward the only direction Kuroko could have gone.  “Please let me handle this.”

“Fine,” Aomine walked up and put a hand on Kagami’s shoulder.  “Go get ‘im.”

*~*

Kagami scoured the entirety of the main floor of the hotel, even going as far as poking his head into the other ballrooms.  After apologizing for interrupting a coming of age ceremony, he turned and caught sight of his husband out of the corner of his eye.  He was getting much better at seeing through his misdirection, though Kuroko was still able to use it on him from time to time.

“Tetsuya!” he called and the other man turned toward him, blue eyes wide, before running away.  “Damn it, Tetsuya!” Kagami frowned and took off after him, suddenly regretting eating his weight in bacon earlier.

When he finally caught up to him, the shorter man had run into a small room at the end of the hall.  He grabbed Kuroko’s wrist just as he passed the ice machine, capturing him.

“Tetsuya, what happened?” he asked.

“Please let me go, Taiga-kun,” the shorter man replied, still not looking at him.

“So it’s ‘Taiga-kun’ again now, is it?” Kagami raised a split eyebrow.

“I,” Kuroko tried pulling his wrist free, but Kagami held firm.  “I’m so embarrassed,” he squeezed his eyes shut tight.  “I can’t believe I did that,” his other hand was balled into a fist and he raised it to his forehead.  “Akashi-kun and Furihata-kun must be so upset with me.”

“That’s what you’re worried about?!” Kagami practically roared, finally getting Kuroko to look at him.  “Tetsuya, you ignited me into a buffet table,” his eyes widened, “and you’re more worried about how _they_ feel about it?”

“They were innocent bystanders,” Kuroko frowned up at him.  “You deserved it.”

“Yeah, that’s the part I don’t quite get,” the redhead released Kuroko’s wrist and folded his arms over his chest.  “What exactly did I do?”  He asked.  Icy blue eyes looked away from him.  “I was just enjoying the food when you came over and started shouting at me,” Kagami sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “Damn it, Tetsuya,” he hissed out a breath through clenched teeth.  “If you don’t tell me what I did, I can’t fix it.”

“You let her touch you,” Kuroko said so quietly, Kagami almost didn’t hear him.

“What?” the taller man’s arms fell to his sides.  “Who?”

“The woman at the buffet,” his husband was still looking at the ground.  “She was flirting with you all night and then you let her touch you.”

“What woman?” Kagami furrowed his brow.  “I don’t remember anyone flirting with-”

“She was all over you!” Kuroko finally looked up at him again, his small fist slamming into the ice machine.  “The woman in the black dress.”  Realization dawned on Kagami.

“You mean the one who works for Akashi’s dad?” he asked.  Kuroko looked away again.  “She was just asking me about America and what it was like to play professional basketball.”

“That’s not all she said.”  His husband wiped at his eyes with his sleeve.  “When I was walking over to you, I heard her say that she has a thing for redheads.”  Kagami was confused.

“She was talking about Akashi, wasn’t she?” he asked.

“She was talking about you!” Kuroko frowned.  “She was flirting with _you_!”

“There’s no way,” Kagami scratched his cheek awkwardly.  “Who would flirt with me?”

“Are you an idiot, Taiga-kun?” his husband sighed.  “Don’t you realize how attractive you are?”  At that, Kagami felt his face heat up.

“No, I’m not-”

“You’re tall, muscular, handsome…” Kuroko looked up at him.  “Who wouldn’t want you?”  He didn’t give Kagami a chance to answer.  “And look at me,” he averted his gaze again.  “No one even notices me. How can I compete with those women?”

“Tetsuya,” Kagami lifted his husband’s chin and brushed a thumb over his lower lip.  “Your presence might not be the strongest, but the moment someone does take notice, they’re captivated.”  The taller man gave him a lopsided grin.  “I mean, do you even realize how jealous I was of Aomine back in high school?”

“Aomine-kun?” Kuroko cocked his head to the side.

“He was your former light,” Kagami moved his thumb to brush Kuroko’s cheek.  “Those were big shoes to fill.”

“You wear the same size,” the shorter man laughed.

“That’s not what I meant,” Kagami groaned, shaking his head, but then he smiled.  “I was jealous of how important he was to you,” he admitted.  “I was jealous of all of them,” he chuckled, “Even Kise, for crying out loud.”

“You were jealous of my old teammates?” Kuroko quirked an eyebrow.

“Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?” Kagami asked.

“Yes, it does.”

“Kind of like you being jealous of some random woman that I’m never going to see again?” he offered and Kuroko blushed.

“Yeah, I guess that was kind of silly,” he looked sheepish.  “I just saw the way she was throwing herself at you and…” he cleared his throat, “the champagne probably didn’t help.”

“You were drinking?” Kagami looked legitimately surprised.

“I drink,” Kuroko frowned up at him.

“That one time in college when you accidentally ate the liquor-filled chocolates Alex sent me doesn’t count,” he snorted.  Kagami moved his hand to cradle the back of his husband’s head.  “But seriously,” he touched his forehead to Kuroko’s, “you have nothing to worry about.”

“Really?” the shorter man asked breathlessly.

“Really,” Kagami whispered and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips firmly against his husband’s.  He crowded Kuroko up against the ice machine.  The shadow pulled his lips away, gasping for breath.

“Here?” he asked, panting.

“Here,” Kagami affirmed, brushing their lips together.

The ice came crashing down inside of the machine beside them.

*~*

“Where do you think he went, Aominecchi?” Kise asked, frantically searching the first floor of the hotel.

“Kise, let’s go back to the party,” Aomine followed behind him, his hands in his pockets.  “Bakagami said he was going to find him.”

“But I’ve never seen Kurokocchi so upset!” the blond whined.  “And if Kagamicchi is the reason behind it, he might not even want to see him right now.”

“I’m not so sure-” his husband began, but he stopped when Kise hushed him.  Aomine raised an eyebrow, but the blond motioned for him to come closer.

“I heard voices,” Kise said.  “I think one of them was Kurokocchi.”

“So, why-” he was hushed again.  Aomine rolled his eyes and lowered his voice.  “So, why are we whispering?”

“I don’t know,” Kise whispered back.  Aomine ran a hand over his face.

“Let’s just go and see if it’s Tetsu,” he walked forward and opened the door labeled ‘Ice Room.’  “Yo, Tetsu, you in heee…re?”  He froze.  Kagami and Kuroko froze.  Kise walked in after Aomine.

“Was it Kurokocchi, after all – _MY EYES_!!” Kise hid his face behind his hands, blocking out the scene in front of him.

“So, you found him then?” Aomine was the first to recover.  “Kise, let’s go,” he grabbed his husband and steered him out of the room.  Kagami and Kuroko watched as the taller man dragged the blond away.  Before the door closed, they heard Kise shout.

“My Kurokocchi is no longer pure!”

“Well, that was…unexpected,” Kagami leaned his forehead on Kuroko’s shoulder.  “Um,” he cleared his throat, “Do you want your pants or-?”  Kuroko silenced him with a kiss.  He pulled back and shook his head.  Kagami blushed.  “Okay…” he breathed and pressed their lips together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops~ So, that happened. At least they made up!


	22. Thank you - AoKise+Momo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a strange mix of humor, uncomfortable situations, innuendo, and fluff.  
> You have been warned, lol.
> 
> We've jumped forward in time a bit for this one. Also, some time between the wedding and now, Aomine and Kise have started addressing each other by their given names. (Maybe I'll write a chapter about that later...)
> 
> Enjoy!

“Push!” Aomine shouted.  Kise grunted from beside him.  “You got this, c’mon,” he urged.  “Keep going, just a bit more,” he pleaded.  “One more push should do it!”

“I can’t!” Kise screamed.

“Damn it, Ryouta!” he growled.  “Just push a little harder,” Aomine clenched his teeth.  “I don’t have a free hand to grab it.”

“Okay, okay!” Kise clenched his eyes shut and with a very final strangled groan, he got the last of Momoi’s luggage to squeeze into the back of the taxi.  Once it was in, the trunk shut and latched under Aomine’s weight.

“Got it,” the tanned man let out a whoosh of air before hopping off the back of the cab.  He turned toward his very pregnant childhood friend.  “Think you brought enough stuff with you, Satsuki?”

“I think so,” she put a finger to her chin.  “I am going to be here for a while.”

“I was being sarcastic,” Aomine rolled his eyes.

“Okay, you two,” Kise put an arm around each of their shoulders.  “Let’s not start things off with a fight,” he released them and turned toward Momoi.  “You’re positively glowing, Momocchi,” he fawned.

“Oh, you’re just saying,” the pink-haired woman blushed.

“No, you’re looking even more beautiful than usual,” the blond grinned.  “Doesn’t she look great, Daiki?” he turned toward his husband.

“Your boobs got bigger,” Aomine said flatly.

Yes.  They were off to a great start. 

The fourteen weeks of Momoi’s maternity leave were going to be long indeed…

*~*

Momoi was thirty-six weeks pregnant, her due date only four weeks away.  Although some airlines didn’t have restrictions, Kise insisted that it was dangerous to fly internationally within thirty days of her due date, as he concluded by conducting numerous internet searches.  Before she could argue, he reminded her that the Murasakibaras’ baby was born two weeks early.  It was just safer this way.

So, here she was, feeling unattractively round, sitting on the couch in Aomine and Kise’s apartment.

“Do you need anything, Momocchi?” Kise would ask every-so-often.  She shook her head.  “Okay, let me know,” he crooned and walked back into the kitchen to clean up after their lunch.

Aomine’s team was on summer break, since their practices didn’t resume until late September, but he was off at some charity luncheon for the bright futures of today’s youth.  He couldn’t really remember the name of the organization.  He just informed Momoi and Kise that his agent had booked him several Good Samaritan-type gigs to make him ‘more likeable’ to both the younger and more feminine fans.  Sure, he played exceptionally well, but his agent kept insisting that he ‘stop frowning so much.’

So, that left Momoi and Kise alone.

Momoi sighed and stared up at the ceiling.  Suddenly, the apartment felt amazingly stuffy.

“Ugh, it’s so hot,” Momoi moaned, pulling her hair up into a messy bun with a loose elastic she found in her purse.  “Why is it so hot?”

“It’s a little warm for May,” Kise walked back into the room with a glass of ice water for her.  “But the air conditioner feels nice, right?”

“I can’t even feel it,” she complained, thrashing her head back and forth and pulling at her tank top.  “It feels like a sauna in here.”

“I can lower the temperature, if you’d like, Momocchi,” the blond offered.

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” she looked over the back of the couch at him and smiled.  “Thank you, Ki-chan.”

“Anything for you, Mama,” he grinned.

“I thought I told you to stop that,” magenta eyes narrowed.

“Yes, Mama,” Kise chuckled.

*~*

Momoi had received all of her prenatal care in Tokyo, so, one of the first things the three of them did was bring all of her paperwork to the hospital nearest to their apartment.  Thankfully, both Aomine and Kise were now fluent in English.  Momoi understood enough to get by, but college-level courses rarely taught you vocabulary words like ‘cervix’ and ‘contractions.’

Once the paperwork was handled, they met the panel of doctors who delivered at the hospital.  They were given a few pieces of literature regarding procedures and options that they had in the delivery room, followed by the hospital staff’s congratulations.  Before they left, Momoi went ahead and made her next four appointments.  She was far enough along where she needed to be seen every week.

“Just think,” Kise began excitedly as they left the hospital, “at any one of those appointments, the doctor might tell you that it’s time.”

“I know, I can’t believe it’s almost over,” Momoi replied.  “I’m anxious and excited for the baby to come, but I’m going to miss carrying them around.”

“That’s hard to believe, given the amount of complaining you do about your back and legs,” Aomine said.

“Daiki, will you stop being an ass?” Kise frowned at him.  “Momocchi is about to bring our baby into the world,” he said.  “Please show her some respect.”

“Yes, _dear_ ,” the taller man answered and stifled a laugh.

*~*

Three weeks later, at one of Momoi’s appointments, she was told “Any day now.”

When she came home to the apartment, she excitedly shared that information with Aomine and Kise.  The blond immediately shot up and started rearranging the nursery and Aomine, for the first time since she’d arrived, asked her if he could do anything to make her more comfortable.

*~*

Soon, Momoi’s due date came.

And went.

She was now forty weeks and three days pregnant.

“Sometimes babies just take a little longer to ‘cook’,” the doctor told her with a laugh.  This time both Kise and Aomine had come with her to her appointment.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Kise asked.

“Well,” the doctor began, “there are plenty of things Ms. Momoi can try.”  She began to list them off.  “Going for walks, though, stay hydrated because it’s starting to heat up out there.”

“Okay, walks,” Momoi made a note.

“You can try eating spicy food,” the doctor continued.  “There are different massages and pressure points,” she turned toward the men, not sure which one to look at.  “And, of course, there’s one other way that seems to be the most successful…”

“What is it?” Kise asked.  “We’ll try anything.”

“Well,” the doctor looked back and forth between Aomine and Kise and then gave up and looked at Momoi.  “You can always have sexual intercourse.”

“Okay, that sounds good, I-” Momoi began and then blinked.  “What’s that now?”

“Sex releases prostaglandins,” the doctor explained, “hormone-like substances not unlike those found in medications used to induce labor.”

“Is that so?” Kise looked pale.

“Yes,” the doctor turned toward him, finally deciding that, because he spoke the most, he was the father.  “Now, this is what most dads find interesting,” she laughed.  “You’ll have to do it without a condom.”

If there had been any color left in Kise’s face, it was surely completely drained by now.

“You see, that same substance I mentioned earlier helps to stimulate the cervix when applied directly to her-”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Aomine held his hand up.  The doctor blinked and turned toward him.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just assumed-”

“Thanks for the information,” he continued.  “We’ll try a few of the things on the list.”

*~*

Four more days went by and still nothing.

Momoi had eaten every spicy food available and was walking an average of eight miles per day.  Each night Kise and Aomine would take turns massaging her pressure points, but to no avail.

“Maybe tomorrow,” she said before retiring for the night.  It became her catchphrase.

*~*

“She’s forty-one weeks today,” Kise said as he and Aomine turned down their comforter and climbed into bed.

“Maybe I’ve been wrong this whole time,” Aomine fluffed his pillow.  “This baby is just as stubborn as you are,” he laughed, “He’s got to be yours.”

“Ha ha,” the blond rolled his eyes.  “Very clever, Daiki,” he picked up the book on his nightstand and slipped on his glasses.

“You’re going to stay up?” his husband asked.

“Mm,” Kise hummed in affirmation. “Just seeing what other things we can do to help Momocchi along.”  A tanned hand came up to block the text on the page and pull the book down.  Kise looked over at Aomine with an eyebrow raised.  “What?”

“You know that one other way the doctor mentioned…?” he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows.

“Yes, well, unfortunately that won’t work if you and I are the ones doing it,” the blond rolled his eyes again.

“But,” Aomine grabbed the book and tossed it to the side.  “It’s been so long,” he slid a hand under Kise’s shirt and reveled in the gasp he elicited.

“Daiki, we _can’t_ ,” Kise pleaded.  “Momocchi is just across the hall.”

“So keep quiet,” he leaned closer and kissed his husband’s neck, drawing out another, more interesting noise.

“ _Daiki…_ ” the blond whined, but his resolve was breaking.  “Ugh, fine, but make it quick.”

“It’s been six weeks, babe,” Aomine flashed him a toothy grin.  “I think we can manage.”

*~*

Momoi had finally gotten comfortable in bed.  It was hard when you had a giant watermelon attached to your front.  She cuddled up against her pillow and froze.  Something didn’t feel quite right.

She got out of bed and opened her door, crossing the hallway to Aomine and Kise’s room.  She rapped on the door and waited for them to answer.  A few seconds passed and no reply came.  She knocked again, a bit more insistently.

“Dai-chan? Ki-chan?” she called.  Suddenly, she heard Kise shouting something and Aomine’s strangled grunt as something heavy fell onto the floor.  A second later, the door was open, and a slightly flushed Kise stood before her.

“Yes, Momocchi,” he gasped.  His nightshirt was a button off, but she didn’t make a comment on it.  She had something much more important to say.

“I think it’s time.”

There was a flurry of motion then.  Aomine and Kise got dressed as quickly as humanly possible, only accidentally putting on the other’s clothing once.  Kise grabbed her hospital bag and Aomine helped Momoi out to the elevator, supporting her with one arm and using his free hand to dial his phone and call a taxi.

They got to the hospital just in time.  Momoi was rushed to the delivery room and they’d barely made it to her side before they heard it.  A loud, piercing cry.  But it was so beautiful.  He was so beautiful.

*~*

Sometime later, Momoi was sitting on her bed in her overnight room, the baby cradled in her arms.  Aomine and Kise had gone to get some coffee and the nurse brought their son into the room while they were gone.

“Hey there, little guy,” she stroked his cheek lovingly.  His skin was a beautiful tan color, answering _that_ question.  She toyed with the knit hat on his head, frowning at what was beneath.

She was distracted from her thoughts by her door opening.  Kise and Aomine walked back in, carrying cups of coffee and a big blue pacifier balloon.

“Oh, they brought him back already?” Kise tied the balloon to the doorknob and walked over.  “He’s so beautiful,” he leaned down and cupped the baby’s head.  “Look Daiki,” he nearly giggled, “Look at the little hat they gave him.”

“Heh, it’s cute,” Aomine grinned.  “I brought you a mineral water, Satsuki,” he held the bottle out to her and she burst into tears.  Navy eyes widened.  “What’s wrong?”

“I told you, you should have gotten her juice,” Kise frowned up at him.

“No, it’s not that,” Momoi sobbed.  “It’s just…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Kise asked, furrowing his brow.

“When the two of you pictured your baby, you probably argued over which of you he’d look like,” she sniffed.  “I’m so sorry that he looks like me,” fresh tears began to fall.  Aomine and Kise looked at each other and then smiled, turning back toward her.

“Why would you be sorry about that?” the blond shook his head.

“Satsuki,” Aomine pushed some of her long hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear.  “You put yourself through all of this just so Ryouta and I could have a baby,” he leaned his forehead against hers.  “Why would we be upset that our baby looks like his mother?”

“Daiki’s right,” Kise slipped the little knit hat off and kissed their baby’s downy pink hair.  “Now, whenever we look at him, we’ll be reminded of the wonderful person who gave him to us.”

“Dai-chan…Ki-chan…” she gave them a watery smile and then burst into tears again.  “S-Sorry,” she laughed and wiped her face with the sleeve of her gown.  “Hormones.”  They all laughed then.

“Thank you, Satsuki,” Aomine held her close.  “We can never repay you.”  She shook her head.

“You never have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked~ Also, I wasn't 100% sure about keeping that scene with the doctor (you know the one) I hope it didn't make anyone too uncomfortable, heh.
> 
> P.S. If Aomine, Kise and Momoi had somehow managed to make a baby (all three of them) I feel like he would just grow up to be Kisumi from Free!


	23. Adventures in Babysitting - KagaKuro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry, I know it's been a little bit. I was off writing a raunchy gift for my beta and then updating my crossover fic (which you should read, by the way...it's pretty good...though, I am a little biased, haha)
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy this humorous fic about Kagami and Kuroko attempting to take care of Tatsumi.

Months had gone by since Akashi and Furihata’s wedding.  In that time, the Midorimas’ daughter had turned one, Momoi had given birth to Aomine and Kise’s son and Akashi announced that he and Furihata were going to start ‘trying.’

Kagami and Kuroko, on the other hand, were at a stalemate.

Kagami continued to suggest surrogates and Kuroko continued to turn them down.  Even after the incident at the wedding, when Kagami ensured his husband that he only had eyes for him, Kuroko couldn’t help, but feel slightly jealous of the beautiful girls in the photos. 

They were going to meet with their surrogate once a month and go with her to her prenatal visits.  It wasn’t a requirement, but it was something they decided they wanted to do in order to feel like they were playing a bigger part in bringing their child into the world.

“One of these days you’re going to have to choose one,” the redhead sighed as he threw another rejected surrogate profile over his shoulder and fell onto the bed, face first.  “You’re impossible,” Kagami mumbled into the comforter.

“The word is selective, Taiga-kun,” Kuroko replied.  He was sitting up in bed with his back supported by the headboard, reading a book on male fertility.  “Don’t you think our child deserves the best?” he asked without looking up.

“Yeah, well,” Kagami turned his head to the side to face his husband.  “Unless you sprout a pair of ovaries, we’re going to have to settle for someone.”  Kuroko opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a ringtone.  “That’s me,” Kagami groaned as he heaved himself off the bed and grabbed his cell phone off of the nightstand.  “It’s Tatsuya,” he said as he answered it and put it on speaker, seating himself next to Kuroko on the bed.

‘Good morning, Taiga,’ came Himuro’s voice from the other line.  ‘Any luck convincing Mr. Picky to choose anyone?’ he asked with a chuckle.

“You’re on speaker, Himuro-nii-kun,” Kuroko said flatly.

‘Oops, sorry, Tetsuya,’ the older man cleared his throat.  ‘Anyway, Taiga, I was wondering if you and your _fantastically wonderful_ husband would mind doing Atsushi and me a favor.’

“Go on,” Kagami looked over at Kuroko and smiled.

‘Well, as you know, Atsumi went back home a couple months ago,’ Himuro said.  ‘And, as wonderful as running a bake shop and taking care of a seven-month-old is,’ he gave a laugh, ‘it doesn’t leave us much time to be alone, if you catch my meaning.’

“So, what are you asking?” the redhead raised his brows, even though he knew his ‘brother’ couldn’t see.

‘Atsushi and I were wondering if you could watch Tatsumi tonight so we could go on a proper date?’ the older man asked.  He didn’t wait for a reply.  ‘Please, it’s our anniversary, after all,’ he sounded like he was pouting.  Again, Kagami didn’t get a chance to say anything.  ‘Thanks, Taiga!  You two are the best,’ Himuro said.  ‘We’ll see you at our place at five, okay?’

“Tatsuya, I don’t know about-”

‘Bye!’ the older man trilled and hung up the phone.

“Well,” Kagami stared at his cell phone and then turned toward Kuroko.  “I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t have any plans tonight,” he chuckled and Kuroko hummed in agreement, still reading his book.

*~*

The Murasakibaras lived in Los Angeles, just like they did, but they were all the way over in Cerritos, and, although it was less than a half hour drive on the 105, they were both so busy that they hardly saw each other, save for holidays, and they’d seen even less of each other since Tatsumi was born.

When they arrived at the Murasakibaras’ home, Himuro answered the door before they even had a chance to knock.

“Taiga, Tetsuya, come in,” the dark-haired man smiled and grabbed their arms, pulling them inside.  “Now, Tatsumi’s schedule is posted on the fridge and Atsushi has already prepared her meals,” he breezed over to the kitchen, picking up a few toys off of the ground.  “Everything is individually wrapped and clearly labeled,” he went on.  “Clean diapers and wipes are next to the playpen and extra clothes are folded on the table, just in case.”  He finally turned to face them again, taking a deep breath.  “Tatsumi goes down for bed at eight,” he blew his long bangs out of his eye.  “Any questions?”

“Uh…” Kagami blinked, clearly surprised by his ‘brother’s’ apparent eagerness.

“Where is Tatsumi?” Kuroko asked instead.

“Hi Kuro-chin, Kaga-chin,” Murasakibara said as he came down the stairs and into the room, holding the baby in his arms.  She cooed and giggled up at her father.  Her hair had gotten darker, changing from downy light purple to a thicker, glossy violet.

“Hello Murasakibara-kun,” Kuroko greeted him.  “Hello Tatsumi-san,” he waggled a finger in front of her nose and she grabbed it with her chubby little hand.

“You don’t have to be so polite,” Himuro laughed.  “She’s a baby.”

“A baby who will grow up in America and have no use for honorifics,” Kagami added, stroking her hair.

“Well, everything’s all set,” Himuro grabbed his keys off of the counter and stuffed his cell into his back pocket.  “If you have questions, feel free to give us a call,” he waved, walking over to the front door.  “We’ll be back around nine,” he paused, gray eyes looking up at Murasakibara expectantly.  “Let’s go, Atsushi, the movie starts in twenty minutes.”

“Tatsu-chin…” he pouted, looking down at the baby.  “I don’t think I can leave her,” he looked at his husband.

“You can and you will,” Himuro’s eyes slipped closed as he beamed at him. “This is the first night we’ve had to ourselves in over a year,” he was gripping the doorframe, nearly splintering the wood.  “Give Taiga the baby and get your titanic behind out here,” he added, smile never fading as he stepped out of the house.

“He seems…” Kagami paused, “…tense.”

“It’s been hard since Tsumi-nee-chin went back home,” Murasakibara handed Kagami the baby.  “We’re both still working, so when Tatsu-chin is in the office crunching numbers, he’s got Mimi on his lap in the carrier.”

“Mimi?” the redhead raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it was getting hard with Atsumi, Tatsumi and Tatsuya,” the giant scratched his head and stifled a yawn.  He looked really tired.  His eyes were red and there were dark circles beneath them.  Come to think of it, Himuro looked the same, despite his energetic attitude.

“Don’t worry, Murasakibara-kun,” Kuroko stepped forward.  “We’ll make sure to take excellent care of Mimi-san.”  The taller man smiled and pat Kuroko’s head.

“Thanks, Kuro-chin,” he ruffled the shorter man’s hair.  “Mimi shouldn’t be too hard to-”

“Atsushi, let’s go!” Himuro’s voice drifted in from the driveway.  “If we miss even one preview, you’re sleeping on the couch for the next decade!” 

“I should go,” Murasakibara caressed Tatsumi’s cheek with a long finger before walking out to meet his husband.

Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other and wondered if that’s how they would act if they had to take care of a smaller version of themselves for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  Kuroko opened his mouth to speak, but Himuro popped his head back into the house.

“Oh, before I forget,” he ran inside and gave Tatsumi a kiss on the forehead.  “See you tonight!” he waved and closed the front door.

“They really needed this night out, huh?” Kagami turned to look at his husband.  Kuroko nodded.  “So, what’s the first thing on the list?” he asked.

They walked into the kitchen and found Tatsumi’s schedule on the fridge, held on by a magnetic photo frame of Murasakibara, Himuro and baby with Santa at the hospital the day after she was born.

“Let’s see,” Kagami looked at the list.  “Five o’clock:  playtime,” he smiled and looked over at Kuroko.  “Sounds easy enough.”

**5:27PM**

“Mimi-san, please let go of Taiga-kun’s hair,” Kuroko pleaded softly.  Kagami was on his back, bent over the coffee table, completely immobilized by a seven-month-old baby.  In her chubby little hands were fistfuls of Kagami’s red hair.  “Honestly, Taiga-kun,” the other man shook his head.  “I only went to the bathroom.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can’t be left alone, blah blah,” Kagami rolled his eyes.  “Just get her off of me,” he begged.

**6:03PM**

“It says she’s supposed to have dinner,” Kuroko eyed the schedule.  He opened the fridge and grabbed three small plastic containers with ‘6:00’ written on them.

“Which one do we give her first?” Kagami asked as he put Tatsumi in the high chair.

“They’re numbered,” the shorter, usually unfazed man seemed genuinely surprised.

“Alright then,” his husband raised his brows.  “She looks hungry and she’s half Murasakibara, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.”

**6:13PM**

“No, not in your ear…in your mouth!” Kagami tried desperately to get the spoon, with the food still on it, into Tatsumi’s mouth.  "C'mon, open up for Uncle Taiga," he pleaded. She giggled and batted her hands at it, sending pureed sweet potatoes flying, hitting Kuroko right in the face.  “Ah, Tetsuya, sorry!”

**6:20PM**

“How much did she actually get in her mouth?” Kuroko asked as he rinsed the containers in the sink.

“Well, there were about, what, nine ounces total?” Kagami asked and his husband nodded.  “There’s about three ounces on the floor,” he paused, “one and half on the wall,” he looked down at himself, “two on my arms and, I’d say,” his glanced over at Kuroko, “four on you?”

“That’s too many ounces, Taiga-kun,” Kuroko commented softly.

**6:40PM**

“Story time!” Kagami exclaimed excitedly.  He set Tatsumi down on the rug and walked over to the bookshelf.  Kuroko was just coming out of the kitchen, having opted to finish cleaning and let Kagami watch the baby while he did so.

“Where’s Mimi-san?” the shorter man asked.

“On the rug by the playpen,” the redhead answered without looking.

“No, she’s not,” Kuroko said.

“Don’t joke around, Tetsuya,” Kagami turned and pointed at the rug.  “She’s right…” his eyes went wide.  “Shit, I just set her down.”

“Language, Taiga-kun,” his husband frowned.

“I’ll worry about my language after we find her,” he got on his hands and knees and startled scrambling around the living room floor.

**7:15PM**

“Mimi-san, bath time,” Kuroko picked her up off of Kagami’s chest.  It only took a minute to find her, as she didn’t crawl fast.  But, even so, Kagami hadn’t let her go after that, deciding to prop her up on his lap as he read to her.  By the fifth story, the larger man was fast asleep.

Kuroko had washed Nigou hundreds of times in his life.  A baby couldn’t be too much harder, right?

**7:20PM**

“Taiga-kun…help!” Kuroko shouted from the bathroom.  Kagami shot up, eyes snapping open.

“Coming, Tetsuya!” he ran toward the bathroom and tripped over the rug in the hallway.  “Oww,” he groaned and then remembered why he was running.  “Tetsuya, what is it?” he asked, pulling himself up and leaning on the doorframe.

“Never mind,” his husband sighed and turned to face him.  Whatever it was Tatsumi was about to do, she had already done it.  Kuroko’s entire front was soaked, his white shirt nearly transparent and clinging to his chest.  Kagami looked him up and down and held his hands out.

“I’ll take over,” he smiled, “You go dry off.”

“Thank you, Taiga-kun,” Kuroko nodded and walked out of the bathroom.  Kagami’s eyes trailed after him and then he fixed his gaze on Tatsumi.

“Nice one,” he smiled at her and she gurgled up at him.

**8:01PM**

“Bed time, finally,” Kagami threw himself onto the couch.  Kuroko, who was wearing a borrowed shirt of Himuro’s, sighed in agreement and settled down in the recliner.  “That was the most exhausting three hours of my life.”

“I have to agree,” Kuroko pulled his knees up to his chest.  “Do you think we’re ready for this, Taiga-kun?”

“Hmm?”

“Parenthood, I mean,” he was looking away.  “We only had to watch Mimi-san for a few hours and we managed to lose her once and make a mess of the place.”

“Tetsuya…” Kagami sat up and patted his lap.  Kuroko got off of the recliner and walked over to him, taking the invitation.  “It’s not like our baby will come out seven months old and crawling,” he nuzzled his husband’s neck.  “We’ll have plenty of time to practice,” he added.  “I’m sure Murasakibara didn’t start out individually packaging and labeling baby food,” he chuckled.

“But…what if we’re not good parents, what if I…”

“We won’t know unless we try,” the taller man rubbed Kuroko’s back in soothing circles.  “But if all of your surrogate rejections were just you trying to tell me you weren’t ready,” he began, “all you had to do was say so.”

“No, I…” Kuroko looked down.  “I-” but he was interrupted by crying over the monitor.

“I’ll go check on her,” Kagami started to sit up, but Kuroko put his hands on the larger man’s chest.

“No, let me,” he said and slid off his husband’s lap.  Kagami watched as Kuroko walked up the stairs.  The taller man leaned back against the couch and took a deep breath.  He heard the door creak open over the monitor.

‘Shh…it’s okay, baby,’ Kuroko’s voice was sweet and soothing.  ‘Uncle Tetsuya’s gotcha.’  Kagami smiled as he pictured his husband leaning over the crib and picking Tatsumi up.  Then he heard Kuroko start to sing.  That was rare.  The shorter man didn’t even sing in the shower.

Curious, Kagami got off the couch and walked up the stairs.  He tiptoed down the hallway and sneaked a peak into the baby’s room.  Kuroko was holding Tatsumi in his arms, gently rocking her as he swayed back and forth, singing a sweet tune Kagami didn’t recognize.

Kuroko gingerly set the slumbering baby back into her crib and, without looking back, whispered

“You’d make a lousy ninja, Taiga-kun.”

“Ah, you heard me, huh?” Kagami walked forward and wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist.  He rested his head on Kuroko’s shoulder and they both gazed into the crib.  “And you think you’re not ready,” he breathed against his ear.

“Well, maybe I’m not completely unprepared,” Kuroko admitted.

“I’m not saying we’re going to be perfect,” the redhead gave him a squeeze, “but we work pretty well together, I think.”  His husband hummed and nodded.  “Anyway,” he ushered Kuroko out of the room and shut the door as quietly as possible.  “We’ve got a little bit before they come home, do you want to watch a show or something?”

“I’d actually like to talk about that last surrogate you mentioned,” Kuroko said.  “The one from earlier today,” he went on.  “She seemed like a good option.”

“Are you sure?” Kagami raised his brows.  “Because you turned her down pretty quickly,” he added. 

“You seemed very excited about her, so,” the shorter man gave a soft smile, “I’d like to hear more.”

“Oh, okay,” the taller man brightened.  “I think I still have the e-mail saved on my cell,” he said giddily as he grabbed his phone.  Kuroko’s smaller hand closed over his and Kagami looked up.  “What is it?”

“I love you,” Kuroko stood on his tiptoes and kissed his husband.  Kagami flushed like a high school kid and returned the sentiment.

**9:04PM**

Himuro and Murasakibara opened their front door and walked inside.  The house was quiet and most of the lights were out.  Only a small lamp by the couch illuminated the room and the two men sleeping soundly in the recliner.

“Taiga, Tetsuya,” Himuro walked over and shook the taller man’s shoulder.  “We’re home.”

“Oh, hey, Tatsuya,” he rubbed his eye and nudged Kuroko awake.

“Is Tatsumi asleep?” the dark-haired man asked.  Kagami nodded.  “Did she give you any trouble?”  He eyed Kuroko’s borrowed shirt.  Kagami and Kuroko exchanged glances.

“She was a perfect angel,” Kagami offered a smile.

“Isn’t she, though?” Himuro returned.

“She did scare me by crawling away during story time,” the redhead added.  “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“She was crawling?” Himuro asked, eyes wide.

“Yes,” Kuroko chimed in with a small yawn.

“Did you hear that, Atsushi?” he turned toward his husband.  “She’s crawling!”

“I want to see it…” Murasakibara whined.

“We can wake her up this once,” Himuro was practically glowing.  The two ran over to the stairs and then the shorter turned.  “Oh, thanks again for tonight,” he beamed.  “I owe you one,” he looked back at his husband.  “She’s crawling!” he cheered and they ran upstairs.

“Think we’ll end up like that?” Kagami asked as he and Kuroko walked outside to their car.

Kuroko paused, imagining Kagami getting excited over every little thing their baby would do.  He smiled and leaned his head on his husband’s shoulder, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together.

“I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, they're so cute.
> 
> So, I just want to give you all a heads up that I may not be updating this for a little bit. I've got to start on my submissions for SouRin week! (Sorry, I know I'm addressing the wrong fandom here) It's my first time participating in a prompt challenge like this, so I'm super excited.
> 
> I'll see you all when I'm done! (Or, when I need a break and I just have to write about babies)


	24. The Morning After - AkaFuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Akashi and Furihata's wedding.   
> (Just some fluff)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! I'm sorry I've been gone for, like, ever! Did you miss me?  
> I was off writing submissions for SouRin Week, but I'm back!  
> I thought I'd return to GE with some AkaFuri fluff~

Furihata awoke to a soft kiss on his shoulder.  The arms around his middle tightened as a warm chest pressed closer to his naked back.  He smiled and leaned into the touch, slipping his eyes closed and taking a deep breath.

He thought about the day before.  They’d really done it.  They were officially married now.  And they made it through the entire ceremony without so much as a hiccup, well, save for when Furihata’s mother locked herself in the bathroom, crying about her ‘baby’ growing up too fast.

The ceremony had been perfect.  He’d been nervous, of course, but when he saw Akashi standing at the alter waiting for him, all his worries just melted away.  It had truly been magical.

Their reception, on the other hand…

It had started out well enough.  Everyone seemed to be having a really good time, that is, until Kuroko ignite passed his husband into the buffet table. 

Needless to say, their reception would not soon be forgotten.

But after the table had been righted and the mess cleaned up, the party continued.  Furihata had gotten to shove a huge piece of cake into his husband’s mouth, smearing it all over his cheeks and laughing in earnest.  Then Akashi had rolled Furihata’s pant leg up and removed a garter – _when had he even put that there?_ – tossing it into the crowd.  It had landed on Haizaki’s head, much to the room’s amusement.

After the festivities were over, Akashi and Furihata were driven to a nearby hotel to spend their first night together as a married couple.

Furihata sighed contentedly, turning around in Akashi’s hold to nuzzle the other’s chest.  Akashi cracked a crimson eye open and glanced down at the brunet.

“Sleep well?” Furihata asked, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

“Mhm,” Akashi hummed, slipping his eye closed and pulling the brunet even closer.

“What time is it?” Furihata wondered aloud.  Akashi grunted, sneaking an arm out of their comforter cocoon to reach for his wristwatch on the nightstand.  He held the watch in front of him and squinted, trying to focus on the tiny numbers.

“Ah, we still have an hour before we have to leave for the airport,” he set it back down and turned to wrap his arms back around Furihata.  “Let’s just stay like this.”

“We do need to shower and get dressed, Sei,” Furihata chuckled.

“To sit on a plane for seven and a half hours?” the redhead’s warm breath ruffled the hair next to his husband’s ear, tickling the sensitive flesh there.

“Well, we can’t go to the airport naked,” the brunet craned his neck and kissed his lover’s chin.  Akashi mumbled something incoherent and buried his face in Furihata’s neck.

“Sei,” the shorter man chastised with a laugh.  “We should at least shower,” he offered.

“Don’t wanna,” Akashi grumbled like a child.

And this was the future leader of the Akashi Group.

“So you’d be fine having your driver pick us up just like this?” Furihata questioned.  Akashi didn’t answer.  “Maybe you’re fine with him seeing you naked, but I’m not sure if I-”

“You’re right,” Akashi shot up.

“That was fast,” the brunet blinked in surprise and then smiled.  “What made you change your mind?”  The redhead strode over to the ensuite bathroom and grabbed a fluffy white towel before walking back and handing it to his husband.

“There’s no way I’m letting anyone see your naked body but me,” he said so seriously that Furihata had to bite his lips to keep from laughing.  “Now,” Akashi nearly purred, “Would you like to shower first or would you like me to join you?”

“What?” he swallowed.  “D-Didn’t you get enough last n-night?” the brunet’s face turned bright red as he looked away.  Last night wasn’t the first time they’d been together, but he still got flustered talking about it.  Furihata heard the mattress creak as Akashi knelt down beside him, cupping his face and touching their foreheads together.

“Never,” he breathed.  “I’ll never get enough of you,” he smiled and Furihata felt his face burn even brighter.  “Now, shall we get ready?”  The brunet nodded, squeezing his eyes shut tight.  “Good.  I’ll start the water.”

Furihata watched as his husband walked back into the bathroom, completely naked.  The brunet took a moment to appreciate his husband’s physique before he blinked and shook his head, standing up to follow him into the room.

“You can turn it up,” Furihata said as he watched Akashi fiddle with the knobs in the shower.  “I know you like it hot.”

“But you aren’t one for hot showers,” Akashi turned and raised an eyebrow.  “I believe you once said something along the lines of, ‘If you want to scald me, you can shower alone’,” the redhead quoted and Furihata ducked his head.

“Well,” the brunet grinned up at him sheepishly.  “If you’re fine with the lower temperature…”

“I will take tepid showers for the rest of my life if it means I can shower with you,” he smiled.  It wasn’t his ‘I’m about to win’ smile or even his ‘See how I’m always right?’ smile.  But it was the smile that made Furihata’s pulse race and warmth spread throughout his body.

“Really?” the shorter man asked, eyes following his husband’s form as he stepped into the stream of water.  “You’d give up hot showers for me?”

“I said it yesterday, didn’t I?” Akashi turned around, damp crimson bangs falling into his eyes.  “For richer or poorer,” he held out his hand and Furihata took it, joining him in the shower.  “In sickness and in health,” the redhead said, wrapping his arms around his husband under the steady flow from the showerhead.  “In water of an adequate temperature or no.”

“I don’t remember that last one,” Furihata snickered.

“I’m fairly certain I said that one, Kouki,” Akashi leaned forward and kissed him.  “It was very important,” he breathed, lips brushing his husband’s again.

“Hmm…” the brunet looped his arms around Akashi’s neck.  “Are you really okay with this?” he asked, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.

“If this is how I get to wake up every day from now on,” he smiled, crooking a finger under Furihata’s chin and tilting his head up.  “I’m more than okay,” he gave that smile again and Furihata melted.  “What about you?”

“You know I’m not good at this kind of thing,” the brunet whined.

“What kind of thing?” Akashi chuckled.

“You know,” Furihata pulled his hands back and gesticulated with his fingers.  “With the words and all.”

“I happen to find you very articulate,” the redhead raised his brows.  “And sweet, caring, handsome, smart, funny-” he stopped when Furihata put his hands over his mouth, the brunet’s face an amazingly vibrant shade of red.  Akashi reached up and gripped his husband’s wrists, pulling the hands away.  “Not to mention your excellent taste in men.”  Furihata rolled his eyes.

“You’re ridiculous,” he sighed.

“Well, if that's how you truly feel…” Akashi trailed off.  They were silent for a moment.  Then the brunet took a deep breath.

“I’d be more than happy,” Furiahta began.  “I’d be ecstatic,” he admitted.  “If I get to wake up next to you every morning and shower with you, eat breakfast with you, go for runs around the neighborhood, pick up groceries together…” he licked his lips, ignoring the heat rising in his cheeks.  “I’m so happy I said ‘yes’.”

“It would have been very disappointing to the helicopter pilot and the skywriter if you’d said ‘no’,” Akashi chuckled.

“I’m not talking about when you proposed,” the brunet gave a small smile.  “I mean the first time you asked me out on a date,” he said.  “That started it all and,” he looked up at Akashi, chocolate eyes full of warmth.  “I’m glad I said ‘yes’.”

Akashi grabbed him then, wrapping his arms tightly around Furihata as though at any moment the brunet would disappear.  He buried his face in Furihata’s shoulder and mumbled something inaudible over the spray of the water.

“What?” Furihata pulled back and looked up into his husband’s eyes.

“Me, too,” Akashi whispered and kissed him again.  “Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful you gave me a chance,” he said and then laughed, “Especially after that whole ‘scissors’ incident.”

“I still don’t trust you with anything larger than a pair of nail clippers,” the brunet chuckled and then cupped his lover’s cheeks.  “But I love you, Akashi Seijuurou,” he breathed, leaning his forehead against his husband’s.  “I love you so very much.”

“And you said you weren’t good with words,” Akashi teased.  Furihata puffed his cheeks out and the taller man covered up a laugh by clearing his throat.  “I love you more than I could ever hope to express,” he whispered.  “But I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying.”

“And taking lukewarm showers,” Furihata added.

“Yes,” Akashi mused.  “Mustn’t forget that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super cheesy right? I hope you guys liked it. It's feels good to be writing for this fic again.  
> Any requests? I've pretty much written everything I was planning to (until inspiration strikes) So, feel free to suggest anything you'd like to see. (I do have a MidoTaka idea half-formed...)


	25. Without You - MidoTaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been awhile!  
> This is set about a year and a half to two years after they adopt Korogi.
> 
> I must warn you this contains an off-screen minor character death (mentioned, but not described)  
> Also, my beta said this wasn't too angsty for this series. Blame indevan!

Sometimes their jobs could be really demanding.  Like the time Takao managed to rack up over twenty hours of overtime in one week, on top of his usual forty.  Or the time Midorima had to spend three nights in the nurse’s breakroom because the OR was overbooked and understaffed.

But sometimes it was their own faults.  Like last month, when Takao picked up an extra six hours at the end of his shift to fill in the gap until the morning paramedic arrived.  That night, or rather, early morning, Midorima locked him out of the apartment.  Deadbolt, door chain, and all.  And, after three hours of being sent straight to voicemail and throwing rocks at their bedroom window (he got the correct window on the fifth try) Midorima finally let him inside.

As it turned out, Takao had forgotten that it was the anniversary of the first time Korogi had said ‘Daddy.’  And even getting that little bit of information out of his husband took an additional forty minutes and the rest of the night on the couch.

Since then, Takao always made sure to call his husband _before_ picking up extra hours.

So, on the night that Midorima was over three hours late coming home (with no phone call, Takao noted) the dark-haired man was suitably pissed.

“Missed dinner,” Takao grumbled to himself.  “Missed Korogi’s bedtime,” he sat down at the kitchen table and crossed his legs. Then he uncrossed them and crossed them again.  “Some double-standard you have, Shin-chan.”  He chewed the inside of his cheek.

Takao got up and walked into their daughter’s room.  She was sleeping soundly on her ‘big girl bed’ they’d gotten for her on her second birthday.  He smiled and closed the door, walking into the family room.

He had started picking up Korogi’s toys and putting them away, when he heard the scratch of a key in their lock.  He put the stuffed animals down and marched toward the entryway, hands on his hips.  As soon as Midorima opened the door, he started on him.

“I hope you have a good reason for being this late,” Takao frowned at him.  “Korogi was nearly in tears because you promised her you’d be home before she went to bed and you didn’t even bother to-” but he was cut off when Midorima strode over to him and hugged him tightly, slumping his body forward and resting his head on Takao’s shoulder.

The dark-haired man blinked in surprise.

“Shin-chan?” he asked, but received no answer.  Midorima only held him tighter, nuzzling his neck.  Takao slowly brought his hands up and placed them on his husband’s back.  It was then that he realized the taller man was shaking.  He heard the drops hit his shirt before he felt the fabric start to dampen.

Sometimes their jobs were more than just physically demanding.

Takao pulled back and put his hands on either side of his husband’s face, thumbs coming up to brush away the tears from his flushed cheeks.

He'd nearly forgotten that Midorima was scheduled to work in the emergency operating room today.  That was always stressful.  But no matter how stressful work was, the taller man had never let it affect him in this way.  Something must have happened.

Takao grabbed his husband’s hand and dragged him over to the couch.  He sat down and patted the spot next to him.  Midorima dropped down heavily and leaned his head on the shorter man’s shoulder.  Takao took his hand again and laced their fingers.

“Tell me,” Takao gave his hand a squeeze.

But Midorima only turned toward him, his free hand reaching up to thread his fingers in his husband’s hair.  The taller man’s lips brushed the sensitive skin of Takao’s neck and, if the situation hadn’t seemed quite so somber, the dark-haired man would have laughed at how it tickled.

“Tell me,” he urged again.

“I nearly lost a patient today.”

Ah, so that was it.

Takao knew that this was not the first time.  In their line of work, it was inevitable sometimes.  Even the most routine surgeries had their own risks.  But Midorima seemed especially bothered by it.

“Car accident,” the taller man continued, voice low.  “A little girl,” his voice cracked and he tightened his grip on Takao’s hand.  “She was...Korogi’s age.”

The dark-haired man felt his heart stop for a moment.

No wonder.

He probably would have been just as upset.  In fact, he nearly was just from hearing about it.

“It's okay, Shin-chan,” he soothed, lifting his free hand to remove Midorima’s glasses and set them on the end table.

“I had to tell her father,” he went on.  “I had to tell him that, even after surgery, his daughter might not wake up again.”

“Shin-ch-”

“You should have seen him, Kazu,” Midorima’s voice was raw.  “His wife was in the car, too.  She died before the paramedics arrived.”  He closed his eyes and fresh tears began to fall.  “She's all he has left,” he said and then swallowed. “I knew exactly what he was thinking," he paused.  "Why them?  Why not me?”

“Shin-chan…”

“He just sat there, trying to take it all in,” he finished.  “And I started to think about what I’d do if I ever lost you two,” he finally pulled back and looked at Takao, his green eyes wet.

“We’re right here,” Takao wrapped his arms around him.  “I’m here and very much alive,” he breathed.  “And Korogi is sleeping in the next room,” he said before adding, “And she’s quite upset with you about missing her bedtime routine.”

Midorima gave a watery chuckle and wiped at his eyes.

“She’s not going to let you off easy this time,” he pulled back and touched their foreheads together.  “I’d say it’ll take about six kisses and a twenty minute long horsey-back ride.”

“Kazu…” Midorima lifted his arms and placed his hands on his husband’s cheeks.  “I really don’t know what I’d do.”

“Then I promise we’ll never leave you,” Takao kissed him.

“You can’t promise that,” the taller man pulled back and frowned.  “Being a paramedic, you know how quickly things can-”

“I know,” the dark-haired man said.  “I know,” he repeated softly.  “And I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you, either,” he held his husband’s hands in his.  “But we can’t focus on the ‘what if’s or ‘might be’s,” he said.  “We’re here now.  We’re together now.”

Midorima let the words sink in.

“You’re right,” he said finally and took a deep breath.  “I love you,” he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, burying his face his Takao’s hair and breathing deeply.  “Tonight,” the taller man said after a moment, “Do you think-”

“Korogi could sleep in our bed?” the shorter man finished for him.  “Yes, I think that’s a great idea.”  His husband gave a small smile.

They walked hand in hand to their daughter’s bedroom.  Midorima scooped her up and held her to his chest, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly.

No one knows what the future holds.  So, that's why they were going to appreciate everything they have now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had Midorima's patient dying and then I was like, "Wait a minute, this is a happy series. What are you doing?" So, I made it so she only almost died. I couldn't handle that much angst. TT^TT
> 
> Wow...now I really feel like I need to write something extra fluffy. Any requests??


	26. What's in a Name? - AoKise+Momo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after that last depressing MidoTaka chapter...I just had to write something cute and sweet~
> 
> Jumping back in time a bit for this one. Back to just after Aomine and Kise's son was born.

“So…” the representative from the office of vital records began again (for the seventh time in three days) “Have we decided on a name yet?” she asked, giving a tense smile.

“Well…” Kise scratched his cheek and looked away.  Aomine had busied himself with reading a pamphlet on breastfeeding.  And Momoi was pretending to be asleep.  The baby gurgled from his place in the bassinet.

“You still have two more days to decide on a name, but I will remind you that Miss Momoi will be discharged tomorrow afternoon,” the woman gave a sigh.  “It would be easier for you all if you chose a name before then.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kise ducked his head.  He felt like a child being scolded by his teacher.

The older woman set a book entitled, ’20,000 Baby Names’ on the counter.

“Please use this,” she said.  “I’ll be back again tomorrow morning,” she gathered up her clipboard and walked out of the room.  The door shut with a soft click.

“Is she gone?” Momoi opened one eye.

“Yes,” the blond frowned slightly.  “You can’t both put me on the spot every time she comes in here.”

“Says the man who hid under the bed last time,” Aomine said as he flipped to the next page in the pamphlet.

“You’re not actually reading that, are you?” Kise raised an eyebrow.

“It’s pretty interesting,” the tanned man mused.  “And the model they used for the demonstration is stacked.”

“And there you go,” the blond rolled his eyes and plopped onto one of the chairs.  He leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling.  “But, seriously, we need to decide on a name soon.”

“I still like ‘Daiki’,” Aomine finally put the pamphlet down.

“Of course you do,” Momoi and Kise said at the same time.

“What’s wrong with my name?” he drew his brows down.

“He’s already got your eyes and complexion,” Momoi put a finger to her chin.  “Why not name him after Ki-chan?”

“Oh, no, that would just get confusing,” the blond put his hands up.

“Yeah, it would be hard to tell which ‘Ryouta’ I was scolding,” Aomine said and then flashed his husband a toothy grin.

“Nice,” the blond glared at him.  The baby gurgled again and the three turned to look at him.

“What about ‘Satsuki’?” Kise asked.  "It can also be a boy's name."  At that, the pink-haired girl flushed bright red.

“There is no way you’re naming him after me,” she stammered.

“Why not?” Kise reached out and grabbed one of her hands.  “You’re his mother, after all.”

“But, even so,” she swallowed.  “He’s your son,” she smiled down at the baby.

“We could try looking through that book she left behind,” the blond released Momoi’s hand and took the book off of the counter.  “We’ll just flip through and see if any names jump out at us,” he offered.  The other two nodded and he began.

“Aaron.”

“No.”

“Adam.”

“No.”

“Atsushi.”

“ _No_.”

It went on like that well into the H’s before Kise finally set the book down, putting a hand over his eyes and throwing his head back.

“I. Give. Up.” He sighed.

“Well, we already decided not to name him after any of us,” Momoi sounded tired, too.  “What if we name him after someone we know?”

“Like a family member?” Kise removed his hand and looked at her.

“Yeah, something like that,” she said.  “But not anyone in my family,” she added sternly.

“Well, I’m named after my father, so that’s out,” Aomine ran a hand through his hair.  “What about you, Ryouta?” he turned toward his husband.

“My older sister laid claim to Dad’s name for her first born son back when I was still in diapers,” he laughed.  “I’m pretty sure she would literally kill me.”

“What about someone outside of our families?” Momoi looked over at the baby and gave him her hand.  His little hand reached up and grabbed a hold of her finger.  She smiled.  “Someone we all love.”

“Someone we all respect,” Kise smiled as he realized where she was going.  They looked over at Aomine expectantly and he furrowed his brow before it suddenly clicked.

“Yeah,” he walked over and looked down at his son.  “That’s perfect.”

And so, after filling out all of the official paperwork the next morning, they had the representative from the office of vital records, who was overjoyed that she didn’t have to keep bothering them anymore, take a quick family photo on Kise’s phone.

The blond typed up a message and sent it out to all their friends and family.  Of course, it was late at night in Japan and very early in the morning in Los Angeles, but they received a bunch replies right away.

_‘Perfect.’_

_‘Love it.’_

_‘I knew you would.’_

_‘I approve, and so forth.’_

*~*

Kagami groaned when he heard both his and Kuroko’s message alerts going off at six in the morning on a day he didn’t have to get up for practice.  He looked over at his husband, who was still sound asleep, and sighed.  He rolled out of bed and grabbed his phone, raising a split eyebrow when he saw that the message was from Kise.

_‘Sub:  Picked a name!’_

He smiled through his sleepy haze and opened the message.  It was a picture of Momoi holding an adorable baby with fluffy pink hair and dark blue eyes.  Aomine and Kise each had an arm around her and they were grinning, the latter throwing up a peace sign.

The text below read:

_‘Allow us to introduce the newest member of our family, Aomine Tetsuya.’_

Kagami stifled a chuckle and looked over at the shorter man slumbering in their bed.  He couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

*~*OMAKE*~*

Kise bounded excitedly over to their front door when he heard the bell.

“Daiki," he began, "Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi are here!” he called over his shoulder before fixing his bangs in the mirror.

“Let them in,” came his husband’s reply.  “Just helping Satsuki get the baby changed.”

“In what way are you ‘helping’?” Kise heard Momoi say, voice laced with irritation.  He chuckled and opened the door.

“Kurokocchi!” he nearly sang.  “I’m so glad you two could take the time to visit us.”

“Well, we wanted to congratulate you and meet the little guy in person,” Kagami said and handed Kise an envelope.

“Thank you, Kagamicchi.”  He stepped to the side and let them in.  He offered them seats on the couch while he grabbed a tray of drinks and snacks.  He had just set it down on the coffee table when Momoi and Aomine emerged from the bedroom with a freshly-changed baby Tetsuya.

“Thank you for coming, Tetsu-kun, Kagamin,” Momoi rushed over and hugged them.  Aomine, who was holding the baby, just walked over and shook Kagami’s hand.

“Skipping out on practice for this, Bakagami?” he asked.

“And just how many days have you missed, Ahomine?” the redhead returned, squeezing the tanned hand harder.  Aomine pulled away and turned toward Kuroko.

“So, what do you think, Tetsu?” he asked.  Suddenly, Kise and Momoi stopped what they were doing and looked over at the shorter man as well, eager to hear his thoughts on the name.

“I’m honored,” he said in his signature soft tone.  “And I’m very excited to meet Number Three,” he added and the other four froze.

“Tetsuya, he’s not a dog!” Kagami gaped at his husband.

“But he _is_ the third one,” Kuroko blinked innocently.

“Tetsu-kun…” Momoi put her face in her hands and shook her head.

“Kurokocchi…”

Aomine looked at his ex-shadow and then back at his son.

“Is it too late to change it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe. Oh, Kuroko.
> 
> (Note: "Number Three" because Nigou (Kuroko's dog) is "Tetsuya Number Two")


	27. Finally! - KagaKuro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami and Kuroko finally get their baby!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I thought it was about time~  
> Also, I'm putting off writing one of my other fics (forgive me!)
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta, indevan!
> 
> Please forgive any typos. It's late, haha. I'll read over it a third time in the morning. ^^;

After months of arguing over who to pick, or, rather, Kagami suggesting profiles and Kuroko shooting them down, they finally settled on both a donor and a surrogate.

The egg donor was young, a college student, with a great family medical history and impressive athletic lineage.  The last part was unnecessary, but an added bonus as far as Kagami was concerned.

The surrogate was their age and local.  She lived in Inglewood, just a few miles down the road from their home in Hawthorne.  It was easy to pick her up and take her to her prenatal appointments.  It wasn’t something she needed or had even requested, but Kagami and Kuroko felt like it was the right thing to do.  They wanted to be there for her through every step of the process.

The first time they met Elaina, it was at an interview arranged by the surrogacy company.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted.  She seemed nice.  Polite.  Bright smile.  "So, you two want to have a baby?"

"Yes," Kuroko bowed his head.  Kagami would never, ever say it out loud, but he loved how cute his husband sounded when he spoke English.  "We were hoping that you would be interested."

"Well, that's why I signed up for the program," Elaina giggled.  Kuroko flushed and Kagami cleared his throat.

"Sorry, we're a little nervous," the redhead explained.

"I am, too," she admitted.  "This is my first time doing something like this and it's kind of scary."

"It is," Kagami let out a shaky laugh.  "I'm terrified and I'm not the one having the baby," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"The truth is," Kuroko began, "I wanted so badly to have Taiga-kun's child," he sighed.  "Of course, being a man, I know that is impossible."  He paused and Elaina waited for him to continue.  "But it's still something I want."

"Something _we_ want," Kagami corrected.  "And," he turned and brushed Kuroko's bangs out of his eyes, "I don't care if the baby is mine," he rested his forehead on his husband's.  "It might be nice having a little Tetsuya running around."

"Taiga-kun..." the shorter man's ears turned bright red.

"Whether the baby ends up being mine or yours," the redhead breathed, "I will love it more than anything."

"I'll do it," Elaina said suddenly, drawing their attention to her.

"Elaina-san?" Kuroko's eyes widened.

"You two are so obviously in love, it's ridiculous," she smiled.  "You deserve to have a child to share that love."

"So," Kagami looked at her expectantly, "you're saying..."

"Taiga, Tetsuya," she sat up, "Let's make a baby."

*~*

Kagami and Kuroko purchased six eggs from the bank, fertilizing half with Kagami’s and half with Kuroko’s – to be fair.  It was an expensive process, so they had to make sure there were enough so at least one would ‘stick.’  It would be awhile before they could try again, so they hoped it would work the first time.

When they got the phone call from the agency twelve days later confirming that Elaina was, in fact, with child, Kagami had picked Kuroko up and spun him around, squeezing him tightly and laughing so hard it brought tears to his eyes.  Kuroko was no better, burying his face in his husband’s chest and sobbing with joy.

*~*

From the moment they received the good news, they had begun preparing.  The nursery was nearly complete before they even knew what they were having.

Of course, they were able to put the finishing touches on the room after Elaina's eighteen week appointment.

"Everything's looking good," the nurse said as she pointed to the monitor.  "Do you want to know the sex?" she asked, looking at Elaina.

"It's up to you guys," she said.

"Taiga-kun?" Kuroko looked up at his husband.

"Akashi _has_ been bothering us about what color gifts he should buy," the taller man shook his head.  "Let's hear it."

"Well, the picture is a little fuzzy," the nurse squinted at the screen, "but it's looks like you're going to have a girl."

"A girl..." Kagami gave his husband a lopsided grin and the shorter man felt his heart skip a beat.

And, even though they’d taken months debating over who their surrogate would be, it took less than three hours to decide on a name for their baby.

"Hikari."

It meant 'light' and it just seemed so…perfect.

*~*

“I can’t wait,” Kuroko whispered one night in bed.  They’d just gone to Elaina’s thirty-seven week appointment that morning and they were told she was dilated and it could be ‘any day now.’

“I can’t either,” Kagami wrapped his arms around his husband and pulled him against his chest.  “In a few weeks we’ll be parents,” he breathed.

“I know, it’s…kind of crazy,” the shorter man laughed nervously.  “I can’t wait to meet our daughter.”

“Me, either,” Kagami kissed his husband’s head and gave him a squeeze.  “I bet she’ll look like you,” he whispered.  “Pale skin, big blue eyes-”

“No, you heard what Elaina said,” Kuroko turned on his side and looked up at him.

“I don’t quite recall…”

Earlier, at the appointment, the doctor commented on the size of her belly.

“Fundal height isn’t always the most accurate,” the doctor had said.  “But you seem to be measuring closer to forty weeks.”

Elaina gave a dainty laugh and looked over at Kagami.

“Well, Taiga, I think this little girl just might be yours then,” she smiled and then pointed to her bump.  “I’m as big as a house!”

“Hey!” Kagami frowned, cheeks tinting pink.  “I wasn’t always this big.”

“It’s true,” Kuroko said softly.  “Taiga-kun has put on a lot of weight since high school.”

“Thanks, Tetsuya,” the redhead said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

*~*

The call came at 3:24 AM PST.

Kagami nearly jumped out of bed when Kuroko put a hand on his shoulder, voice shaking with both nerves and excitement.

“Taiga-kun, it’s time.”

The hospital was a fifteen minute drive.

They made it in seven.

And it was a good thing they did.

They barely made it into the room before the baby was crowning.

“Red hair,” Kuroko has whispered, tears coming to his eyes.  “Taiga-kun, she has your red hair,” he smiled bigger than Kagami had ever seen him.

Soon, a shrill cry filled the room.

“Congratulations,” the doctor said as he helped Kagami cut the umbilical cord.  “It’s a girl.”

“She’s so beautiful,” his voice cracked.  “Tetsuya, she’s so beautiful.”

“I know,” Kuroko put a small hand on his husband's back and then turned toward their surrogate.  “Thank you, Elaina-san,” he smiled at her.  “We can never thank you enough.”

“I was happy to do it,” she grinned and then winced, clutching her middle.  “Oww,” she gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Kuroko and Kagami were at her side in an instant.

“I thought the contractions were supposed to stop after the baby is born,” Elaina said and then gritted her teeth.

“Is she alright?” Kagami turned toward the doctor, who looked just as puzzled as he did.

“Hold on,” he said and reached forward.  He frowned and waved a nurse over.  “Why didn’t her chart say she was having twins?” he drew his brows down.

“We had all her prenatal paperwork sent over,” the nurse answered.  “There was nothing in it about a second baby.”

“Wait, wait,” Kagami held his hands up.  “There’s no second baby.”

“Well, I’m not sure what they’ve been telling you, but there is definitely another one in there,” the doctor looked up at the tall man over his glasses.

“How is that possible?” Kuroko looked at the doctor and then back at Elaina.

“We had a bunch of ultrasounds and they never mentioned seeing more than one baby,” she squeezed her eyes shut again and groaned.  Kuroko held her hand and brushed sweaty bangs out of her face.

“It’s possible that the baby wasn’t in a good position for the transducer to pick them up,” the doctor explained.

“But this is insane!” Kagami broke out of his shocked stupor.  “You’re saying that the baby was hiding from the ultrasound?” he asked.

“Gestational Misdirection…” Kuroko said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

“Don’t say that like it’s a valid explanation!” Kagami shouted incredulously at his husband.

“I know we weren’t expecting this, but I suggest you two accept it because this baby is coming now!” Elaina gasped and they were back at her side.

A few minutes later, they were blessed again.

Their second baby came into the world with quiet cry, bright blue eyes wide open.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor announced.  “Would you like to cut the cord this time?” he asked Kuroko.  But the shorter man was too distracted.

They had a son.

And a daughter.

Two babies.

Two beautiful babies.

*~*

Sometime later, Kagami and Kuroko were in Elaina’s recovery room.  She was sleeping soundly and she deserved some rest after the day she’d had.

“I can’t believe it,” Kagami sat in one of the chairs, rocking their daughter.  “Two kids…twins.”

“I know,” Kuroko stood beside him, holding their son.  “But I suppose we’re all set now,” he gave a light chuckle.

“So, we already know that she’s going to be ‘Hikari’,” he smiled down at the sleeping baby girl.  “But we didn’t come up with any boy names.”

“You’re right,” his husband frowned slightly and then sat down in another chair.  His frown faded as he stroked the baby’s cheek.  “We could name him after someone we know,” he said.  “Like Number Three.”

“Stop calling him that,” Kagami laughed.

“What about Daiki?”

“Pass.”

“Taiga-kun, you sound like me,” Kuroko chuckled.  “Ryouta?”

“Pass.”

“Well, what about Tatsuya?”

“It’s too close to your name and Tatsuya already named his daughter after himself,” Kagami said.

“Hmm…” Kuroko closed his eyes, feeling the long day catching up with him.  “What about naming him after Alex-san?”

“Alex?”

“It’s a boy’s name, too, right?” Kuroko asked, eyes still closed, and then added, “She’s a big part of your life."  He looked over at his husband with a soft smile.  “And I’m sure she’d be flattered.”

“Flattered?” Kagami barked out a laugh and then quieted down when Hikari stirred in his arms.  “She’s going to be ecstatic.”

Kuroko stood up and walked over to his husband, leaning down to kiss him.

“I love you, Taiga,” he said, dropping the honorific.  The redhead grinned up at him.

“I love you, too,” he tilted his head for another kiss, but stopped when he noticed Kuroko staring at their daughter.  “What is it?”

“I think she has your eyebrows,” the shorter man cocked his head to the side.

“She does not!” Kagami shouted and Kuroko chuckled.

*~*

Please welcome:  
  
Kagami Hikari:  Born 3:35AM – 7lb 13oz

Kagami Alexander:  Born 3:52AM – 6lb 7oz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! So, let's see what we have so far...
> 
> MuraHimu: Tatsumi (girl)  
> MidoTaka: Korogi (girl)  
> AoKise: Tetsuya (boy)  
> KagaKuro: Hikari (girl), Alexander (boy)  
> AkaFuri: -coming soon...ish?-


	28. Our Turn I - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written anything in for...ev...er. I'm so sorry, you guys!!
> 
> Also, I'm apologizing in advance for the upcoming angst. But, without giving away any spoilers, I can safely say that, eventually, AkaFuri will get their happy ending (because that's what I'm about, after all)
> 
> Please enjoy! I'd like to thank my beta, indevan, as always. Also, I read over it to check for typos, but I was in a hurry to get this posted, so I hope I didn't miss any.

Furihata wasn’t sure what had woken him up at first.  He opened one chocolate-colored eye at a time and stared up at the dark ceiling.  As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a small sliver of light coming through the crack in the bathroom door.  He turned over on his side and saw he was alone in bed.

“Sei?” he called, rubbing the sleep from one of his eyes.  The sound of water running – which he hadn’t noticed until just now – suddenly stopped.

“Kouki?” Akashi opened the door a bit and stuck his head out.  “Did I wake you?”

“Mm…” Furihata stretched his arms over his head and stifled a yawn.  “I don’t think so.”  He smiled up at his husband.  “Another early day at the office?”

“Yeah,” Akashi’s face softened.  “I’m sorry I’m going to miss breakfast again.”  But the brunet shook his head.

“It’s all right,” he snuggled closer to the pillow next to him.  “I know how important your work is.”

“Not more important than you,” the redhead strode over to the bed and sat down.  “I really hate that I’ve been leaving you alone so much lately.”

“Don’t treat me like I’m a child,” Furihata pouted up at him.  “Besides,” he smiled, “it’s not like I don’t have things to do.”

“Still…”

“Although, the season ends next week,” the brunet mused.  “Once Mini-Basketball takes a break, I’ll have quite a bit of free time.”

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Akashi began and then bit his lip before adding, “Coach.”

“Don’t tease me,” Furihata grimaced.  “It’s an important job.”

“I know, I know,” the redhead chuckled, mussing his husband’s hair.  Furihata reached up and grabbed Akashi’s hand, entwining their fingers.

“Now, what did you want to talk about?” he asked.

“About that free time you’ll be having,” Akashi swallowed.  He looked…nervous.  Of course, Furihata knew that _The_ Akashi Seijuurou did not get nervous.  So, it must have been something else.  But he looked a lot like he had in the helicopter, right before he’d proposed.  And like when he walked up to Furihata after their first game second year and asked - quite out of the blue, he might add - if the brunet would go out on a date with him.

“What is it, Sei?” Furihata rubbed his thumb soothingly over his husband’s knuckles.

“How would you like to take some time off,” he paused, “permanently?”

“What?” the brunet furrowed his brow.  “Like, be a house husband?”  Akashi nodded.  “I hate to break it to you, Sei, but the fleet of servants we employ more than takes care of the chores,” he stopped to laugh.  “And they get quite offended if I try to help,” chocolate eyes looked up at his husband, filled with mirth.  “You remember the dishwashing incident, I’m sure.”

“Well, I didn’t mean for you to stay home and clean the house,” Akashi cleared his throat.  “I figured you’d probably be a bit too busy for that,” crimson eyes finally met his dead on.  “Taking care of the baby.”

Furihata’s eyes widened as his still sleep-addled brain processed the information he’d just received.

“Sei, do you mean…?”

“I know we’ve talked about it before and I think we’re ready, I mean, if the Kagamis can handle twins, I think that we could-”

“Yes!” the brunet threw himself at Akashi, pulling his husband into a tight hug.  “Yes,” he pulled back with a huge smile.  “Let’s have a baby.”

*~*

Now, it wasn’t like Furihata didn’t have his doubts.

He was sure that Akashi would make an excellent father.  And, from several summers of coaching Mini-Basketball, Furihata knew that he was good with kids.

It was just…

It was a big step.

But they’d talked about it before.  What it would mean.  What they’d be giving up in order to become parents.  And it was worth it all in his mind.

It was hard to go overseas to pay the other children proper visits, especially with how busy Akashi had been over the last few months, working on some big project with his father.  But, they did manage to meet with the Midorimas fairly regularly.  And just seeing how happy they were with Korogi made Furihata feel like he could do this.

They could do this.

*~*

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to play the paternity guessing game,” Akashi had said one night while they were looking through piles and piles of surrogate profiles.  “Although the tests I had as a child proved that I don’t have the same disease that took my mother,” he stopped, taking a deep breath.  Furihata knew that, even after all this time, it still hurt to talk about.  Akashi went on.  “I’m still a carrier and I wouldn’t want to risk passing it on to our child.”

“So, you’re saying I’m going to be a daddy?” the brunet tried to lighten the mood.

“You were going to be a daddy either way,” the taller man shook his head with a laugh.  “Anyway, we still have some time to pick our donor and surrogate, but we should probably go ahead and get your sample in, so we’ll be ready when the time comes.”

“I’ll make an appointment tomorrow,” Furihata agreed.

“I already made one,” Akashi had the decency to look sheepish at that.  “Tomorrow at eleven.”

“Oh,” the brunet blinked in surprise.  “Then I’d better store up, shouldn’t I?” he gave a wicked grin and set the folder he’d been perusing down on the table.

“Yes, I suppose that’s for the best,” his husband looked slightly crestfallen.  Furihata snickered and stood up, walking toward their bedroom.  “Kouki?” crimson eyes followed him.  “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go take a shower before bed,” he pulled his shirt over his head.  “Care to join me?”

Furihata was proud of how he’d gotten over his shyness in the bedroom.  Maybe not completely and certainly not all the time, but when he was able to catch his husband off guard, he reveled in his successful attempts at seduction.

“But didn’t you just say…?”

“I said _I_ needed to store up,” the brunet looked over his shoulder.  “Not you.”

He’d never seen his husband move so quickly in his life.

*~*

Akashi had to work the following day, so Furihata went to his appointment by himself.

He practically had to bribe the driver to stay with the car and not escort him into the fertility clinic.  It was awkward enough as it was.

Several embarrassing minutes later, he was handing his sample to the nurse and was told to take a seat.

“Normally we get results back to you in about a week” the nurse explained.  “But for you, Akashi-san, we’ll have your results today.”

Furihata had a feeling that he’d soon see a newspaper article with a picture of his husband handing an oversized check to the doctor in charge of the clinic.

“We’ll have your count shortly and then you’ll meet with the doctor,” she added and walked off to deliver his sample to the lab.

Furihata shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  He was both nervous and excited.  He hoped that he’d given a good sample.  He’d read online that you were supposed to abstain for three days before supplying one and, since he’d only just found out about his appointment the night before, he hadn’t done the necessary preparations.

He was momentarily distracted from his anxiety by his phone’s message alert.  He pulled out his cellphone and smiled when he saw it was from Akashi.

_‘How did it go?’_

He laughed and typed a reply.

_‘Just fine.’_

Another message appeared from his husband.

_‘I can’t wait to see you tonight.  I owe you, after all.’_

Furihata blushed at that.

 _‘Come home early,’_ the brunet typed brazenly, his cheeks heating up.

_‘Will do.  Love you.’_

_“Love you, too.’_

“Akashi-san?” the nurse called and Furihata jumped up, nearly dropping his phone.

“Y-Yes?” he squeaked.

“The doctor will see you now,” she stepped aside and let him through the doorway.  Then she led him down a long hallway, past a few exam rooms, and toward a large wooden door.  She rapped on the door and then opened it when the doctor responded.  “Best of luck,” she added, before making her way back toward the front.

Furihata opened the door a bit wider and stepped inside.  The office was pretty nice, all dark wood and shelves upon shelves of books.  It felt like a library and that immediately put him at ease.

“Welcome, Akashi-san,” the doctor stood and greeted him.  “Please have a seat,” she gestured toward an empty chair across from her.

“Thank you,” Furihata bowed and sat down.

“So, you and your husband are interested in using a surrogate, I see,” she looked over his paperwork.  Furihata immediately hoped his handwriting was legible.  He’d had to fill out a huge stack of papers when he first walked in and his hand had started to cramp.

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded.

“Well, congratulations,” she smiled.  “Let’s just take a look at your sperm counts and then we can go from there,” the doctor reached over and grabbed a manila envelope from her inbox.  She took a piece of paper out and studied it.  Then she drew her brows down.

“Is…” Furihata swallowed.  “Is anything the matter?”

“Oh,” she set the results down and folded her hands in front of her.  “Akashi-san,” she began.  “Have you had any medical procedures?”

“Well, I broke my pinky in third grade,” the brunet started to list them off.  “And I’ve been in for stitches on more than one occasion, oh, and when I was six, I got my leg stuck in-”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t clear,” the doctor interrupted.  “Have you ever had any surgeries?”

“Ah, sorry,” Furihata blushed.  “I did have a lump removed during my third year of middle school,” he began and then quickly added, “but it was benign.”

“I see…” she looked over his results again.  “And did that lump, by any chance, happen to be on your testicle?”  Furihata felt his face heat up.

He knew that, going to a fertility clinic, he’d need to discuss all sorts of things.  And, he’d probably hear even more embarrassing things once their surrogate was pregnant.

“Yes, it was,” he answered then froze.  Suddenly, something dawned on him.  Was it back?  Could they tell that from a sample?  He’d had a physical less than a year ago.  Surely the doctor would have noticed then.

“Akashi-san, your counts aren’t looking very promising,” she said.

“Is it…” (cancer?)  “Am I…” (sick?)

“Although the lump was removed successfully, I’m afraid it had a long-term impact,” the doctor went on.

“I don’t understand,” Furihata drew his brows down.

“I’m sorry, Akashi-san,” she frowned slightly.  “But, according to this test, you’re sterile.”

Sterile.

That meant he couldn’t have children.

“Are you sure?” he asked, voice small.

“We could run the test again, but I’m quite sure the results would be the same,” the doctor said solemnly.

“I see…”

He felt like the floor had opened up beneath him.

They ran the risk of their child inheriting an illness if Akashi was the father.  And Furihata wasn’t able to have children.

He was sterile.

He couldn’t give his husband the one thing he wanted.  The only thing he’d ever asked of him.

How was he going to tell him?

*~*

The rest of the appointment was blurry and out of focus.  Furihata had barely paid attention to what the doctor had told him.  He only knew that it was hopeless for him to keep trying.  If his counts still weren’t up after how many years had already gone by, there was little chance of them going up now.

It was cloudy when he walked back outside, numb legs barely carrying him to the waiting car.

He was silent during the ride home.  The driver, sensing his mood, did not attempt to make conversation.

They were just about to pull into the driveway when Furihata’s phone went off.  It was a message from Akashi.

_‘I managed to move my meetings and I should be done by three.’_

Then another message immediately followed.

_‘Can’t wait to see you, ‘Daddy’.’_

Furihata felt like he was going to be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
> 
> I haven't written the continuation of this yet, but know that it's coming soon! (indevan wanted me to write it tonight, but my bed calls)
> 
> Please stay tuned for some more angst, drama, and their eventual happy ending~


	29. Our Turn II - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second, equally-angsty installment~ There should be at least one more part and then they're going to get their own additional chapter later on (or immediately after...we'll see)
> 
> Thanks again to indevan for beta-ing (I'm making 'beta' a verb)

When Furihata got home, he went straight to his and Akashi’s bedroom, refusing the lunch that the staff had waiting for him.  He apologized, complaining of an upset stomach, and closed the bedroom door behind him.

He flopped onto the bed, curling up on his side and cuddling his husband’s pillow.  It smelled of Akashi’s shampoo and aftershave and it was soothing.  But, at the same time, it reminded him that his husband would be coming home in a couple hours and he’d have to tell him what the doctor said.

The room was dark when he heard voices coming from outside the door.  He rubbed his eyes and wondered just when he’d fallen asleep.  The heavy sound of rain hitting the window explained why the room was so dark when it was only midafternoon.  He barely heard the door softly click open.

“Kouki?” Akashi called in a quiet voice.  “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” the brunet sat up and tried to smooth down his hair, which he was sure looked like a rats’ nest.  “Welcome home,” he let his hand fall from his hair and smiled up at his husband.  Akashi’s anxious expression melted away as he walked into the room, still in his suit.

“I was worried when the staff said you weren’t feeling well,” Akashi sat on the edge of the bed and cupped his husband’s cheek.  “Are you feeling better now?”

“A bit,” Furihata swallowed, looking down.  The nap had done wonders for his mood, but the bad news still weighed heavily on him, twisting his stomach in knots.

“Did you get to meet with the doctor today?” the redhead asked, getting up and walking toward their closet.  He had just walked back into the room after removing his coat, hands poised to loosen his tie, when he stopped.  “Kouki?”

“Hm?  Oh yeah,” the brunet looked up at him.  “Sorry, I’m still a bit tired.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Akashi was wearing that worried expression again and it only made Furihata feel worse.  “Did anything happen?”

“Actually, about the appointment-” but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Akashi-sama, the delivery you were expecting has arrived,” one of the staff spoke.

“Hold that thought,” Akashi said to Furihata, a huge smile breaking out on his face.  “Just wait until you see what I ordered today.”  He got up and then paused, face falling as he turned back to face the brunet.  “Do you feel up to getting out of bed for a bit?”

“Yes, of course,” Furihata stood up, ignoring the churning in his stomach.  “Besides,” he forced a smile, “I wouldn’t want to miss whatever it is that’s got you so excited.”  The other man beamed.

“I just know you’re going to love them,” he reached for Furihata’s hand and pulled him out of the room.

“Them?” he asked, a real smile appearing on his face as his husband excitedly dragged him toward the entryway.  They arrived just in time to see at least six large boxes being hauled into their home, plus two dozen or so smaller ones.  “Sei, what is all this?”

“I know it’s super early and we haven’t even chosen a surrogate yet, but I couldn’t help myself,” the redhead looked downright giddy.  Suddenly, Furihata saw the resemblance between father and son.  But then he realized what his husband meant by it being ‘early.’

“Sei,” he bit his lip.  “What’s in all those boxes?”

“Well, that one over there is the crib,” he pointed to a rather large box.  “It’s the same kind I got for the Kagamis’ twins and they absolutely love them, so I knew it was a good choice.”  He pointed to another box.  “And that’s the dresser with the changing table and that one over there…”

He went on, but Furihata wasn’t listening.

How on Earth was he going to tell Akashi that there wasn’t going to be a baby?  At least, not one of their own creation.  Not any time soon.

“…and I didn’t get any of it in pink or blue because we don’t know what we’ll be having and-” he stopped, noticing that Furihata’s attention was no longer on him.  “Kouki?  Is something the matter?”

“Sei…” the brunet stepped forward.

“Am I moving too fast again?” the taller man asked. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Furihata shook his head.

“Because if you’re not ready, we can wait,” though, the look on his face screamed otherwise.

“It’s not a matter of being ready, Sei, it’s just-”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Akashi-sama,” one of the staff approached them.  “But it seems as though they’ve doubled your order and I tried to explain to the deliverymen that you wouldn’t have purposely ordered two of everything, but he claims both orders have Akashi as the surname.”

Akashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“My father,” the redhead surmised and then shook his head with a snort.  “I knew I shouldn’t have told him.”

“You told your father?” the brunet’s eyes widened.

That’s right.  Akashi wasn’t the only one he’d be disappointing.  His father-in-law had been begging them to have a baby since before they officially announced their engagement.

And he wasn’t the only one.  After her initial freak out at the wedding, his mother had gotten over her ‘my baby is growing up too fast’ phase and had moved on to the ‘I want some grandbabies’ phase.

He’d be letting all of them down.

He barely heard Akashi.  It was as if his husband was speaking in a bubble.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said.  “You just know how Dad has been going on and on about wanting grandchildren and he was particularly infuriating today and I just wanted to share the news to get him to focus on the-” he stopped, crimson eyes going wide.  “Kouki, are you alright?”

“I…” the brunet felt the room start spin.  He closed his eyes and put a hand to his head, hoping that it would steady him.  He felt like he was sinking.  The guilt of his inadequacy weighing him down and pulling him deeper.  Akashi was so happy.  How could he tell him?  How could he…?

“Kouki!” he heard his name being shouted, though it was quiet, as though the person screaming it was far away.  Then he was falling, darkness blotting out his vision.

*~*

Furihata felt like he’d been hit by a train.  A train carrying a bus.  And the bus had been full of anvils.

He gingerly opened one eye and winced.  His head was pounding.

“Kouki?” a nervous-sounding Akashi breathed from beside him.  “Are you alright?”

“M’fine,” Furihata slurred, feeling like his tongue was twice its normal size.  “Wha happen’d?”

“You lost consciousness and fell,” the redhead had scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his chest.  “I wasn’t fast enough to catch you,” he swallowed.  “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you s’rry?” the brunet drew his brows down.  At least it was getting easier to talk.  “It wasn’t your fault.”

“But you hit your head,” Akashi sighed.  “If only I hadn’t been distracted by the delivery,” he cursed himself.

“Delivery?” Furihata asked and then he remembered.  The whole reason he’d gotten overwhelmed in the first place.  His husband had ordered an amazing amount of baby things, all of which were unnecessary.  Of course, Furihata hadn’t gotten the chance to tell him that yet.

“Thankfully, you don’t have a concussion,” his husband continued.  “Just a really bad bruise,” he sounded so guilty.  It made Furihata feel even worse.

“It doesn’t hurt,” the brunet lied.  Well, it was a half-lie.  He felt a bit hungover, but that could have something to do with the fact that he’d skipped both lunch and dinner.  “I think I just want to rest a bit more.”  Even though he hadn’t eaten, he wasn’t hungry.

“Okay,” Akashi leaned closer and kissed his forehead.  “I took care of the double order,” he added.  “My father will be paying the return shipping,” he gave a small smile, as if he was testing the room, unsure if Furihata would find it amusing.

“He should.”  That was his attempt at humor.  He hoped his tone came off as playful.  “My parents would at least tell me before they sent over an entire nursery,” he tried.  Akashi smiled at that, so he figured he didn’t sound too depressing.

“Speaking of,” the redhead stood up and grabbed a pitcher of water off of a cart near the door.  He poured Furihata a glass and handed it to him.  The brunet readily accepted.  “Your parents called while you were out.”

“Oh, God…” Furihata closed his eyes and let his head fall back.  “Please tell me my mother isn’t on her way over right now.”

“She’s not,” Akashi failed miserably at hiding his grin.  “I assured her that you were fine,” he paused, “I had the wording down perfectly what with the number of times the doctor had to say it to me,” he blushed slightly.

“Sorry for worrying you,” the brunet looked down sheepishly.  Then he changed the subject.  “What did she call about?”

“They’ve invited us over for dinner tomorrow night,” he explained.  “Apparently, your brother has some news he’d like to share with everyone.”

“He does?” Furihata raised his brows in surprise.

“Maybe he’s finally proposed to his girlfriend?” Akashi suggested.

“Maybe…”

“Well, I certainly don’t want to spoil his big announcement,” the redhead continued, “but, since I’ve already told my father, would you like to tell your parents our news tomorrow night?”

“I’d…I’d, uh,” Furihata fumbled.  “I’d prefer to wait.”

“That’s understandable,” Akashi said and then grimaced when he heard his phone go off.  “That would be the office,” he sighed.  “Apparently, there was an additional meeting I didn’t know about.”

“Do you have to go back into work?” the brunet asked, glancing over at the clock on the bedside table.  It was nearly six.

“Only for an hour or so,” his husband sat back down on the bed and cupped his cheek.  “But if you’re still feeling unwell, I can try and reschedule.”

“No, just go,” Furihata placed his hand over Akashi’s and turned his head to kiss his husband’s palm.  “I’m just going to be sleeping, anyway.”

“If you think you’ll be alright,” he still looked worried.

“I’ll be fine,” the shorter man lied.  “I’m feeling better already.”  Physically, yes.  “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“All right,” Akashi leaned in and kissed him.  “I’ll call your parents on the drive over to let them know that you’re fine,” he said.

“Thank you,” Furihata whispered.  They kissed again and Akashi took his leave.

The brunet's head hurt and he was too tired to bring it up now.  It was a good thing Akashi had a meeting to get to.  Furihata would just have to find a moment to talk to his husband tomorrow, preferably before they got to his parents’ house.

*~*

Despite the great amount of sleep Furihata had gotten during the day, he slept all the way until morning.  When he finally woke up, he’d barely caught his husband in time for a goodbye kiss.

He’d missed his chance.

But he knew Akashi would be home around four today, which gave him a good half an hour, plus the car ride to his parents’, to tell him about his sterility.  It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.  He couldn’t keep it from him any longer.  It was starting to feel like he was lying and something Furihata despised, above all else, was lying.

*~*

Akashi’s day was filled with meeting after meeting after meeting.  But, he managed to get a few minutes to himself during lunch.  He’d already heard back from the doctor who’d treated Furihata last night.  The doctor had stopped by the house first thing in the morning and confirmed, once again, that Furihata was, indeed, perfectly fine.

But he hadn’t gotten a chance to make his husband’s next appointment at the fertility clinic.  The line was busy when he called, so he left a message, stating that they were ready to move on to the next step.  There was no harm in harvesting now.  Even if it seemed as though his husband was beginning to get cold feet (though he said otherwise)  They could always freeze it and save it for when they were both ready.

He had just finished his lunch when his phone rang.  He recognized the clinic’s number and answered with a bright smile, trying to keep his excitement in check.  He tended to ‘go overboard’ (his husband’s words) when he was passionate about something.

“Oh, I didn’t expect the doctor to call me back,” he chuckled when the person on the other line introduced herself.  “Doesn’t the nurse usually handle the scheduling?”

“Akashi-san, our office meant to call you yesterday, but we had an issue with the phones,” she apologized.  “Your husband seemed a bit out of sorts before he left, so I asked if he wanted me to call you.”

“Ah, yes, Kouki wasn’t feeling well yesterday,” he said.  “Was there something wrong with his sample?  Does he need to come back and give another or…?” he trailed off.

“I’m afraid that’s not the case,” she said and then paused.  “Your husband’s counts are extremely low,” she explained.  “I would not advise moving forward with fertilization.”

“I’m sorry,” Akashi was confused.  “I’m having a bit of trouble understanding what you’re saying.”

“Akashi-san,” the doctor began, “your husband is sterile.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting so depressing...I'm sorry!! But I believe their love is strong enough to overcome this. Don't you?
> 
> The family dinner is in the next chapter. I'm so excited to write Kousuke again! (Furi's big bro)


	30. Our Turn III - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ Here's the "final" part of Our Turn. I say "final" because it's not really over. I plan on writing more for our precious AkaFuri, so don't you worry!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! Thanks again to indevan for being my beta (and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!)

Akashi sat there for a moment, trying to process the information he’d just been given.  He didn’t even remember offering the doctor a farewell before he hung up.  His cellphone dangled in his loose grip, threatening to fall at any moment, but he paid it no attention.

“Kouki is…” Crimson eyes blinked slowly.  His husband was sterile.  Which meant that they would not be unable to use his sperm to fertilize an egg.  Which meant that they would not be able to impregnate a surrogate.  Which meant that they were unable to have a child.

Once he got over the initial shock, he began to put the pieces together.  The way Furihata had been acting the day before.  He wasn’t getting cold feet.  He had been trying to tell Akashi that there wasn’t going to be any baby.

For a moment, Akashi wondered why his husband hadn’t just told him.  But then again, when had the brunet been given the chance?  They’d barely seen each other since his appointment.  And it wasn’t just something you could bring up before a goodbye kiss.

And if Akashi knew his husband as well as he thought he did, Furihata was probably blaming himself.  Like it was his fault that he was sterile and not the actual cause, whatever it may be.  He always took complete ownership of any problems that befell him.  That’s what made him a great captain back in high school and what made him a great coach now.

But it wasn’t his fault.  Whatever the cause, it can’t have been anything Furihata had done.  Besides, he wanted a child just as much as Akashi did.  He probably felt so guilty about the whole thing.  He’d even tried to tell Akashi, now that the redhead thought about it.  But Akashi had been too busy showing off what he’d purchased, parading around baby things that his husband knew they wouldn’t need.

How could he have expected Furihata to tell him after that?

One thing was certain.  He had to finish up his work and get home as soon as possible.  He and his husband needed to have a talk before they left for dinner at the Furihatas’.

The last thing he wanted was to talk about such a sensitive subject in front of his husband’s family.

*~*

Fate was rarely kind.  And foreign business partners with severe jetlag were even less inclined to be.

It was nearly four and the final meeting had yet to begin.  Akashi kept checking his watch in hopes that time had decided to stand still, giving him ample opportunity to make it home before he and his husband needed to leave for dinner.  But the second hand ticked on.  The clicking sound reverberating in the conference room, bouncing off the walls and becoming so loud it was nearly deafening.

“…right, Son?” Akashi senior’s voice broke through the redhead’s thoughts.

“What, Dad?” he blinked and turned toward his father.  The conference room was empty save for the two Akashis.

“I was just making idle chitchat,” Masaomi admitted and Akashi was surprised to say the least.  “Anyway, it looks like their plane has landed and the limo should have them here shortly for our meeting.”

‘Shortly.’  With the twenty minute taxi to the gate, plus the amount of time it would take to get their luggage, if they had any, in addition to the limo ride over…  ‘Shortly’ didn’t quite accurately describe when they would arrive.

“Speaking of,” his father continued.  “How’s your German?”

“I remember enough to get by,” Akashi answered, checking his watch again.

“I know that you have plans with Kouki tonight,” Masaomi frowned slightly.  “But, I cannot stress enough the importance of this merger,” his face grew serious.  “This could be our break into the international market.”

“Understood, Father,” he lowered his head.

“Don’t do that,” the older man crossed his arms over his chest.

“Do what?” Akashi looked up at him, blinking in confusion.

“Talk to me like that,” his father drew his brows down.  “ _He_ talked to me like that,” Masaomi cleared his throat and turned away. 

“Dad, I-”

“I understand your disappointment in not being able to ride over with Kouki, but I assure you that you’ll make it to the Furihatas’ before dinner,” he turned back.  “So, please speak to me how you normally do.”

“I’m sorry,” Akashi sighed.  “I’m just a little stressed.  That’s all.”

“Is it about the baby?” Masaomi asked.  “Does it still seem like Kouki is getting cold feet?”

“No, nothing like that,” the redhead shook his head.  “I’ll tell you later, Dad.”

“All right,” the older man said, but then stopped when a tall man in a suit opened the door to the conference room.

“Akashi-sama,” he greeted.  “The executives from the Jaeger Group have arrived downstairs,” he awaited further instructions.

“Please have someone escort them up,” Masaomi said and the man bowed before taking his leave.  “This is your big chance,” he turned toward his son.  “You are the face of the Akashi Group,” he gave a small smile.  “Make me proud.”

“Wait,” Akashi watched as he father walked toward the door.  “Where are you going?”

“I’m stepping out for a bit to get them used to seeing you as the CEO,” he said and then held up his phone.  “I’m going to make a few phone calls.”  He shook his phone from side to side.  “I’ll let the Furihatas’ know that you’ll be fashionably late.” Akashi opened his mouth and then closed it.

*~*

Furihata had still not gotten used to being a kept man.  He wasn’t sure how to fill his day.

Since the Mini-Basketball season had ended the week prior, he’d found himself without a job for the first time since the summer before his second year of high school.

And, with nothing to distract him, he had all the time in the world to think about how he was going to tell Akashi.

But, no matter how many times he played the scenario out in his head, it always ended with his husband being disappointed.  Whether it be in him or the situation, he wasn’t sure.  He just knew there was no escaping the face Akashi would undoubtedly make upon hearing the news.

So, Furihata did his best to keep himself, and his overactive imagination, occupied.

He spent a good four hours in their library.  It wasn’t nearly as large as the one in the Akashi main house, but it was the one he and his husband had built together in their smaller home.  Akashi had even added the extra shelves to accommodate Furihata’s sizable collection.  It was the brunet’s favorite place.  And, after hours of fighting pirates on the high seas and rescuing princesses from dragons, Furihata had grown drowsy.

He tried to sleep, but his thoughts drifted back to his appointment the day before.  If only he’d known that it was impossible.  He could have avoided getting his and his husband’s hopes up.

He went downstairs to his train room.

Yes.  ‘Train Room.’

This one was Masaomi’s doing.  His father-in-law had found out about his hobby (which, up until now, had consisted of going to model train conventions in secret and the one large Lionel set he’d received from Gran-Gran when he was five) and now he had an entire room of miniature cities and countrysides.  It made him feel like a giant.  It was pretty awesome, actually.

Well, it normally made him feel pretty awesome.  Today, he was too distracted to fully immerse himself in his world of trains.  Dorky as that sounded…

Furihata had just noticed that it was past four when his phone began to ring.  His nerves nearly exploded, sending butterflies fluttering in his stomach and blood rushing in his ears.  He looked down, but instead of seeing his husband’s smiling face on the caller ID, he saw his father-in-law’s.

“Hello?” he answered.

‘Good afternoon, Kouki,’ Masaomi’s voice came through loud and clear.  ‘I regret to inform you that I have my son otherwise occupied at the moment,’ he said.  ‘But I assure you that he will be at your parents’ house no later than six.’

“Oh, okay,” Furihata blinked.  He felt…relieved.  But at the same time, he knew that putting it off would only make matters worse.  He took a deep breath.  “Thank you for letting me know.”

‘Anything for my favorite son-in-law,” the older man joked.  ‘Seijuurou has already ordered a car to pick you up.’

Furihata thanked him again and hung up.

He supposed he'd have to wait until after dinner to tell Akashi.

*~*

The Furihatas’ home was small.  Not overly so, but a bit cramped when everyone was home.  Even so, it was always filled with warmth and the familiar smells of childhood.

Furihata immediately recognized the aroma of his mother’s beef stew.  It had been one of his and Kousuke’s favorites growing up.  He waved at the driver from the front door and walked the rest of the way inside.

“Kouki!” his mother ran over to him and pulled him into a hug.  “Welcome home,” she pulled back with a giggle.  “Sei-kun still hasn’t arrived,” she glanced over at the clock.  It was nearly six.  “But I’m sure his meeting just ran a little long.”

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat.

“What’s that face for?” she put a hand on his cheek.  “Something you want to share?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

“Give him some space, Dear,” Furihata’s father stepped in, clapping his son on the shoulder.  “If you do that every time he comes home, he’s going to start to avoid us,” he chuckled and his son joined in.  “Kousuke and Minami-chan are already here,” he informed him.

“Is that my little bro?” Kousuke stuck his head into the room and grinned.  “Wow, I haven’t seen you without your husband since before the wedding,” he grinned.  “He’s always plastered to your side.”

“Don’t tease him, Kousuke,” their mother frowned and put her hands on her hips.  “That’s what it’s like to be in love, right, Dear?” she turned and put a hand on his husband’s chest.  He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and his sons quietly made gagging gestures.

“Let’s head into the dining room,” their father cleared his throat.

“We’ll catch up,” Kousuke said and then turned to his younger brother.  “I’d like to talk to Kouki alone, if that’s alright.”  Their parents nodded and went to join Minami at the table.

“So, what’s up?” Furihata asked once their parents were gone.

“I’m waiting until dinner to tell Mom and Dad, but,” he rubbed his neck nervously.  “I finally did it,” he said.

“Did it?” the younger brother raised his brows.

“I asked Minami to marry me,” Kousuke couldn’t stop himself from smiling and it was contagious.  “I was so against being tied down and I was afraid that I’d always be wondering what I was missing out on, but,” he paused, putting a hand on Furihata’s shoulder.  “When I saw how happy you and Akashi-” he shook his head, “I mean, how happy you and Seijuurou were, I knew that was something I wanted.”

“Kousuke…” Furihata was speechless.

“Don’t make that face,” his older brother moaned.  “This isn’t some TV drama.”

“Sorry,” he laughed.  “So, how did you ask her?”

“Actually, it’s a funny story-” Kousuke began, but he was interrupted by the doorbell.  “Ah, I’ll tell you at dinner,” he said and walked over to answer the door.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Akashi nearly panted.  Furihata felt the butterflies again, turning his stomach and making him nauseated.  “Kouki,” Akashi walked forward and reached a hand out toward him.  There was something about the look in his eyes.  The brunet couldn’t quite place it.  It was a mix of hurt and…pity?  He wasn’t sure.

“You’re just in time,” Kousuke put an arm around Akashi’s shoulders and steered him toward the dining room.  “Mom made our favorite,” he grinned and dragged his brother-in-law to a chair.  Furihata sent him an apologetic glance and took the seat beside him.

“Okay, before we start eating, I need to know,” their mother rested her elbows on the table and her chin in her palms.  “What’s the big news, Kousuke?” she eyed her eldest son and his girlfriend excitedly.

“Well,” he looked at Minami and she grinned at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks.  Furihata smiled.  He knew that look well.

“Come on, you’ve kept us waiting long enough,” their father joined in.  Furihata chanced a glance at his husband and gasped when he met his crimson gaze.  How long had he been staring at him?

“Okay, okay,” Kousuke bit his lip and looked at Minami one last time before addressing the rest of the table.  “I asked Minami to marry me,” he beamed, “and she said ‘yes’.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” their mother cheered, standing up and walking over to hug her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

“And, that’s not our only news,” Kousuke said when his mother finally released him from her hold.  “Go ahead, Babe,” he looked over at Minami, who bowed her head as her cheeks tinted, her long hair shielding her face.

“We’re going to have a baby,” she said and then looked up with a huge smile.  “I’m pregnant.”

*~*

Akashi felt his husband stiffen next to him.  He had only looked away from a moment, to watch as the happy couple made their announcement.  Now he turned to look at the brunet beside him.  Furihata's face was pale, his eyes were wide and his lower lip quivered.  Akashi placed one of his hands over his husband's and felt his trembling.

“I see you’re making an honest woman out of her,” his father-in-law jabbed at his eldest son.

“Dad, it’s not like that,” Kousuke held his hands up in defense.  “I was all set to ask her to marry me.  Had the ring and everything,” he looked over at her with a goofy smile.  “But then she got this sudden bout of sea sickness.”

“Oh, you proposed on a boat?” his mother clasped her hands together in excitement.

“Well, that was the plan, but we never made it off the dock,” he laughed.  “That’s when she told me that I was going to be a father,” he blushed.  “Can you imagine?  Me?”  He looked over at Furihata and his smile disappeared when he saw his younger brother’s face.

“Isn’t this great?” Furihata’s mother went on, unaware of the state of her younger son.  “Now your kids will be close in age,” she turned toward Akashi.

“Excuse me?” the redhead asked.

“Oh, sorry, Masaomi-san let it slip earlier,” she put a hand to her cheek.  “I know you’re just getting started, but we’re thrilled,” she said.

“I-” Furihata stood up suddenly, nearly knocking his chair over.  Akashi turned to look up at his husband.

“Kouki!” his mother gasped.  “You’re as white as a sheet,” her eyes were wide.  “Are you all right?”

“I…I need some air,” he said and pushed away, running out of the room.

“Oh, my...” Furihata’s mother drew her brows together.  “What’s gotten into him?”

“Kouki hasn’t been feeling well,” Akashi stood up.  “Please accept our congratulations,” he turned and offered a smile to the happy couple.  “I think it might be best if we head home.”

“Of course,” Furihata’s father nodded.  “We can have dinner again another time.”

“Let us know when you make it home,” his mother-in-law still looked worried.

“I will,” Akashi bowed and followed after his husband.

*~*

Furihata was beyond embarrassed.  How could he have run out like that?  And the look on his bother’s face…  He was so happy and then all the happiness was gone the moment he looked at Furihata.  He rested is head on the wall next to the door, taking a deep breath.  He closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore the churning in his stomach.

He heard the front door open and knew it was his husband coming to join him outside.

“Sei,” he breathed, without opening his eyes.  “I’m sorry I-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Akashi said, but before Furihata had a chance to respond, he spoke again.  “I’m sorry, that’s not fair.”  The brunet looked at his husband.  He was looking back at him with those sad eyes again.  Now Furihata understood why his husband had given him those eyes earlier.  He knew.

“How did you…?”

“The doctor called me,” the redhead reached a hand up to brush his husband’s cheek.  Furihata flinched and it didn’t go unnoticed.  “I know we haven’t had much time to talk,” Akashi sighed.  “I’m sorry you’ve had to bear this burden all by yourself.”

“Sei…” for the first time since he’d received the news, he felt tears filling his eyes.  “Sei…” he repeated and threw himself into his husband’s arms.  “I wanted to tell you.  I’m so sorry…” he sobbed.

“There’s no need to apologize,” the taller man rubbed his back in soothing circles.  “It’s not your fault.”

“But it’s because of me that we can’t have a child,” he sniffled, burying his face in Akashi’s shoulder.

“We can’t use mine either,” Akashi said.  “Do you blame me?” Furihata pulled back, eyes wide.

“No, I would never!” the brunet gasped.

“Then stop blaming yourself,” he cupped his cheek.  “I admit that this doesn’t make things easy,” he rested his forehead against Furihata’s.  “But, one way or another, we’ll have our family.”

“Sei…” Furihata broke down again, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks.

“If you keep that up, you’re going to make me cry,” Akashi brushed his tears away with the pads of his thumbs.  He closed the distance between them, kissing his husband gently.  “Now, let’s go home and take a nice, relaxing bath.”

“O-okay…” the brunet sniffed.

“And, if you’re up to it,” he pulled back a bit, crimson eyes flashing, “I still owe you for the other night.”  Furihata gave a watery laugh and pulled his husband into another kiss.

So, their lives weren’t going exactly as planned.  They had each other and somehow, someway, they’d get what they wanted.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...I think I stuffed too much into this chapter, heh. (Like Akashi's father bringing up Bokushi...the 'Train Room' etc, lol) But indevan seemed to think it all worked.
> 
> Also...Jaeger Group XD (fyi Akashi's CV also does the voice for Levi in SnK)


	31. Coming Home I - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I know.
> 
> I know.
> 
> I'm sorry I haven't updated this in months. I just wasn't sure how to get the next part written and I was distracted by so many other fics and...I'm sorry.
> 
> I'd like to thank both indevan and @cerberosthehellguard for (sweetly and kindly) nagging me to get writing. (Honestly, they were just really supportive and awesome)  
> Please enjoy!! (Get ready for some angst, people! - and, ya know, a happy ending)

It took some time, but Furihata was finally starting to forgive himself.  He knew it wasn’t his fault that he and Akashi couldn’t have a child.  Well, he was the reason, but it was nothing he’d done on purpose.  Ever since having a lump removed in middle school, he’d been sterile.  He just didn’t know about it until now.

He sighed and looked out the window.  Six months had passed since he and Akashi had stopped looking for surrogates and his husband suggested that they look into adoption.  Furihata thought it might be nice to adopt a child, to give them a home – and a nice one at that – but, he still felt empty.  The one thing Akashi wanted.  The one thing he could give the man who had it all…and he couldn’t.

Furihata picked up his breakfast plate, still heavily laden with food.  He wasn’t hungry.  He walked it over to the kitchen, but was stopped by one of their servants.  She bowed deeply, apologizing for making him clear his own plate.  He awkwardly asked her to raise her head.  He still wasn’t used to it.

Their house was huge – a mansion really.  When he and Akashi first moved in, Furihata had gotten lost going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  But now that he had lived there for some time, he could navigate its many halls with ease.

He had four favorite places in the house.  The first being his and Akashi’s bedroom.  It was where they’d confirmed their love over and over again and where he felt at ease, held in his husband’s arms.  The second was his train room.  After his father-in-law had learned that Furihata’s hobby was collecting model train sets, he had their unused basement converted into a tiny wonderland, filled with miniature villages and trains from every era.  It was a sight to behold.  The third was their library, filled with the books that Akashi and his mother used to read as well as Furihata’s own personal collection.  They’d been adding to it and soon they’d need to add more shelves.

And lastly, Furihata loved the garden.  It was calm and quiet and the green of the grass and trees was so soothing.  He loved to sit by the brick wall at the edge of the estate, under a tall apricot tree.  He’d taken with him one of his favorite books and sat under the tree’s shade, loving that he could hear the sounds of traffic and people walking by just beyond the wall.

The gardener was off today, so, unfortunately, he couldn’t talk with him.  The older man was on loan to them from the main house until they could find a suitable replacement.  Furihata hoped that day would never come because he enjoyed talking with their gardener.  He’d been under the Akashi family’s employ for many years and he’d often tell Furihata stories of when Akashi was a little kid.

Thoughts of a little Akashi usually warmed his heart, but now it made him sad, knowing that they would never have their own child.  He set his book in his lap and looked up, resting his head against the tree and staring up through its branches.  He should be over it by now, but he was constantly reminded of his inadequacy.  It felt like he was seeing babies and children everywhere he looked.

Furihata sighed and then furrowed his brow as he caught sight of something above him, moving through the branches.  He blinked and rubbed his eyes.  It was a child.

“Great, now I’m imagining them,” the brunet sighed again and then gasped when an apricot, shaken from a branch, fell onto his head.  “Hey!” he looked up and the child froze, staring down at him, still silhouetted by the sun above the leaves.  “You’re real?” Furihata cocked his head to the side.

Now the child was moving, scrambling to get to the end of the limb, but he fell hard onto the bark, his shirt getting caught in the branches.

“Hold on,” Furihata called up and began climbing the tree.  He’d gotten out of shape since he’d left his job as a mini-basketball coach.  He still helped out when they needed it, but he wasn’t in peak ‘tree-climbing’ shape.  “Hey,” he said as he reached the limb, carefully stepping out onto it and leaning against the trunk for support.  “Are you all right?”

“Don’t!” the child shouted, trying to pull away, but his shirt was still caught.

“I won’t hurt you,” Furihata walked toward him, glancing down once and feeling his entire world spin.  “Okay, don’t look down,” he said to himself, inching closer to the downed child.  He wasn’t that high up, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of heights.  “Easy,” he reached down and pulled the boy’s shirt free.

Immediately, the small child pulled way, tripping over his own feet and pitching forward.  Furihata reached after him, pulling the boy to his chest.  And then they were falling, hitting the grass was a painful thump.

Furihata clenched his teeth as his back came in contact with the ground.  He coughed, having had the wind knocked out of him.  He was a bit dazed, but he shook the feeling, looking down to make sure the boy in his arms was okay.

“Are you-”

“Let go!” the boy scrambled off of him and ran toward the wall.  “Don’t touch me!”

“I’m,” Furihata interrupted himself with a coughing fit.  “I’m…not going to…hurt you.”

“You’re going to take me back!” the boy accused.

“Take you…back?” Furihata furrowed his brow.  Now that they were out of the tree, he got a good look at the boy.  He appeared to be about four or five, with auburn hair and bright amber eyes.

“I won’t go,” he barked, pressing his back against the brick wall and wiping his cheek with his sleeve.  There was a pretty good-sized cut there.

“You’re bleeding!” Furihata rushed over to him, ignoring the boy’s protests.  “Here, I don’t know what you’re afraid of, but please let me help,” he bent down to check him.  It was a shallow scratch, probably from one of the branches.

“You…won’t take me back?” he looked up at him like a scared animal, unsure if he should trust him.

“I can’t promise you that,” he answered and the boy’s face fell.  “But we can talk about that later,” he offered his hand.  “First, let’s take care of that cut.”  The boy hesitantly reached out and took his hand.  “Now,” he stood up, wincing at the pain in his back.  “Shall we?”

They walked in silence toward the house, the boy’s eyes downcast.  Furihata kept looking down at him, wanting to say something, but unsure what.  Finally, the silence got to be too much.

“What’s your name?” he asked.  But the boy didn’t answer.  “I’m Furi-” but he stopped with a chuckle, “I’m Akashi Kouki,” he smiled, but the boy still wasn’t looking at him.  “And that was my tree we fell out of.”

“I’m sorry.”

Furihata’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s okay,” the brunet smiled.  “And you are…?” he left it hanging.

“Kyou,” he said, finally looking up at him.  “My name is Kyou, like,” he blushed, “like an apricot.”

“Well, that’s ironic,” Furihata laughed.  “Since we fell out of an apricot tree,” he shook his head and gave the boy’s hand a squeeze.  “It’s nice to meet you, Kyou.”  At least he was talking to him.  He could figure out where he was running away from after they addressed his wound.

“Kouki-sama!” their butler shouted as they approached the house.  “You’re limping!”

“I’m fine, Suzuki,” Furihata said.  It was only a partial lie.  He was hurt, but he knew his body.  Nothing was sprained or broken, just very sore.  And he’d have a hell of a bruise come this evening.

“Are you-,” but Suzuki stopped, eyeing Kyou.  “Who is this?”

“This is Kyou,” he introduced him.  “He has a cut on his cheek-”

“Shall I phone for Midorima-sensei?” Suzuki asked.

“That won’t be necessary, I don’t think,” Furihata gave an awkward laugh.  “I’ll just go find the first aid kit and-”

“Please allow me,” another servant appeared, taking Kyou’s hand and leading him into the house.

“No!” Kyou pulled away from her, reaching back for Furihata.  “Kouki!” he called, amber eyes full of fear.

“He’s scared,” Furihata took his extended hand.  “I appreciate the help, but I’ll take care of him.”

“Yes, Sir,” she bowed and then turned toward Kyou.  “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s…” Kyou looked to the side.  “It’s okay.”

“I’ll take him inside and tend to his wound,” Furihata said.  He motioned for Suzuki to come closer and he lowered his voice.  “He’s afraid of going back to where he came from, but…”

“Say no more,” Suzuki bowed.  “I’ll make the necessary calls.”

“Thank you,” the brunet smiled and then turned toward the boy.  “Now, shall we go inside, Kyou?”

“Okay…” Kyou said and then his stomach growled loudly.

“And…get you something to eat?” Furihata chuckled as Kyou blushed.

While the chef was preparing Kyou’s lunch, the brunet took him to one of the downstairs washrooms, reaching into the medicine cabinet and pulling out a first aid kit.  He easily found what he needed and began cleaning Kyou’s cut.

“This might sting a little,” Furihata warned.  He watched as Kyou braced himself, amber eyes closing tightly.  He tried to be as gentle as he could, moving some of the boy’s auburn hair to the side.  It was then that he noticed a nasty-looking scar just above his temple.  Ignoring it, he tried to distract the young boy with conversation.  “So, Kyou, how old are you?”

“Four,” he answered and then added, “I think.”

“You think?” Furihata chuckled.  “Well, what age did you turn at your last birthday?” he tried.  He was used to talking to young kids, although, most of the mini-basketballers were six or seven.

“I…don’t remember,” Kyou admitted and then winced when the cotton ball brushed against his cut.  Furihata froze.  The boy opened one eye and then the other, looking up at him.  “What’s wrong, Kouki?”

“Oh, I,” he pulled the swab away, moving to get a bandage.  “Are you in school?”  Kyou clammed up, looking away again.  “Not yet?”

“I am,” he replied.  “I’m in preschool,” he said.

“Do you like school?”

“It’s okay,” he sighed.  “It’s better than-” but he stopped, peering over Furihata’s shoulder.  The brunet turned around and spotted Suzuki.

“Kouki-sama,” he bowed.  “May I have a word?”  The butler’s eyes darted over to Kyou and then met Furihata’s gaze once more.

“Of course, Suzuki,” he put the first aid kit away and stood up, turning toward Kyou.  “Do you think you can find your way back to the lunch table?”

“I think so,” Kyou looked down at his shoes.  “Um,” he reached forward and tugged on Furihata’s shirt.  “Thank you, Kouki.”

The brunet smiled and got down on his knees so their faces were level.

“You’re welcome, Kyou.” He ruffled his hair and was surprised when the boy suddenly threw himself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he said again and then pulled away, looking down sheepishly before running out of the room and toward his lunch.  Furihata's eyes followed his small form as he ran down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.

“He’s…”

“Missing,” Suzuki finished for him.  “He ran away from school during recess this morning,” the butler frowned.  “I was able to get in touch with his teacher,” he continued.  “They are unable to come to collect him, but they have sent me his address.”

“Oh,” Furihata looked down.  Of course Kyou belonged somewhere.  He said himself that he was in school.  His parents must have been worried sick about him.  But still, “He seemed so afraid of going back,” he said.  “What if we’re sending him back to a bad place?”

“I thought of that, Kouki-sama,” Suzuki gave a rare smile.  “So, I thought it might be a good idea if someone were to escort him along with the driver.”

“You’re brilliant,” the brunet hugged him, startling the butler.

“Thank you, Kouki-sama,” the usually stoic man was blushing. “Who shall I send?” he asked.

“If it’s all the same,” Furihata pulled back. “Do you mind if I go with him?” He didn’t give the other man a chance to respond. “He seems to feel safest with me and…” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Of course,” Suzuki bowed.  “But, please allow me to accompany you,” he requested.  “Akashi-sama wouldn’t want you to go alone.”

“Fine, fine,” the brunet sighed.  His husband was overprotective and Suzuki would only get in trouble if he didn’t go along.  “But, before we take him home, let’s let him finish his lunch.”

The young boy ate just about everything the cooks served him, leaving his pickled ginger on the side of his plate untouched.

“Not a fan?” Furihata asked with a snicker.

“It doesn’t taste good,” Kyou frowned, poking at the thinly sliced pickled root.

“Sei hates it, too,” the brunet chuckled.

“Sei?” Kyou cocked his head to the side.

“My husband,” Furihata said, resting his chin on his fists.  “He has _very_ refined taste,” he snorted.

“Oh,” he looked back down.

“Are you still hungry?” Furihata asked.

“No, thank you,” Kyou sat back in his chair, kicking his legs.

“I need to tell you something,” the brunet put a hand over the boy’s.  “I know you said you didn’t want to go back, but you can’t skip school.”

“I know…” amber eyes were downcast.

“So, we called the school and-”

“You called them?” Kyou looked up at him, betrayed.  “Kouki, they’ll make me go back!”

“I know, I know,” Furihata squeezed his hand.  “But I’m going to come with you, okay? No one is going to hurt you.”

“Kouki…it’s…it’s so lonely-”

“Kouki-sama,” Suzuki appeared in the archway. “The car is ready.”

Kyou hopped out of his chair and cowered next to Furihata.

“It’s okay, Kyou,” he rubbed his back soothingly.  “We’re not taking you back to school.”

“You’re not?”

“We’re taking you home,” Furihata hoped that would make it better.  Maybe he was just lonely at school.  But he realized his mistake.  As soon as he said the word ‘home,’ Kyou pulled away from him, making a run for the door.

“I don’t want to go back!” he shouted, tears pooling in his eyes, threatening to spill over.  “I’m all by myself there,” he stubbornly rubbed at his eyes.  “Let me stay with you!”

“Kyou, I-” but the brunet stopped when he felt Suzuki’s hand on his shoulder.

“Kouki-sama will accompany you, remember?” Suzuki walked over to Kyou and crouched down to his level.  “If your parents aren’t there when we arrive, we’ll wait with you so you aren’t alone.”

Kyou’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything.  He looked back down at the ground, fingers clutching at the hem of his shirt.

Suzuki led them to the car.  Kyou held on to Furihata’s hand, refusing to let go, even as he was buckled in.  The ride wasn’t very long. They passed the school.  The rest of the preschool children were outside being picked up by their parents.  They only traveled a few more streets before the driver slowed the car to a stop.

Furihata felt Kyou bury his face in his side.  He looked out the window at the building.  It was the right address.  And just above the street numbers read the words, ‘ _Heiwa Orphanage_.’

Oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like where I'm going with this. I plan on giving AkaFuri their happy ending and then bringing this whole thing to a close (and, let's not forget our lovely Miss Momoi's happy ending as well!) Please look forward to it and thanks for your support!
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr~  
> http://jubesy.tumblr.com/
> 
> EDIT: After all of that, I forgot to credit indevan for Kyou's name. (I'll make sure to mention it in the next chapter as well)


	32. Coming Home II - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again! Trying to get this thing finished before I get distracted by updating something else, lol.
> 
> I belatedly credited indevan on the last chapter for Kyou's name. They came up with it for [one of their fics](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6043921) and it was too adorable not to steal, hehe (I got permission!)
> 
> Here's the continuation of Kyou's story! It doesn't end here, but we're getting there~ Enjoy!

Furihata sat at the dinner table, his cheek resting on his fist and his other hand moving around his food with his chopsticks.  He wasn’t very hungry.  He kept thinking back to earlier that afternoon.

He and Suzuki had taken Kyou back home, or, at least, what they thought would be his home.  When they arrived, they found the address to be that of an orphanage.  Kyou, who Furihata thought would make a big fuss and try to escape upon their arrival, just solemnly held his hand, a resigned look on his little face.

As they approached the doors, a woman ran out and embraced him, scolding him gently and apologizing to Furihata at the same time.  Suzuki asked the woman if they could escort Kyou to his room.  She complied and led the way.  Kyou refused to release Furihata’s hand.

Kyou’s room looked fine, safe and adequate.  The other children looked happy, well-fed and taken care of.  When they ended the tour back at Kyou’s room, the four-year-old released Furihata’s hand and slowly walked over to his bed, sitting on the edge and looking at the floor.

Through all of this, Kyou remained silent. 

The woman thanked them again and again for bringing Kyou back.  It was then, when she invited them into her office for tea, that Furihata asked what he’d been wanting to since he saw how nicely kept the orphanage was.

“Miss,” he began, catching her attention.  “Kyou seemed afraid of coming back here,” he swallowed.  “With the way he was acting, I didn’t expect your facility to be so…” he trailed off, not sure if it would offend her or not.

“Kyou is…unhappy,” she said, looking into her mug.  “He came to us four months ago with no memory of who he was or where he came from.”

Furihata’s eyes widened.  That’s why he wasn’t sure how old he was.

“He said he’s lonely here,” Furihata pressed on.  “Do the other children not play with him?”

“They’ve offered,” she frowned slightly.  “But it’s hard for them because of his condition.”

“His condition?”

“You know,” her voice lowered to a whisper as if someone in the next room might hear.  “Because he’s nonverbal,” she said.  Furihata drew his brows down as she went on.  “Surely you’ve noticed that Kyou doesn’t speak?”

“But he…” he stopped himself.  If Kyou only felt comfortable enough to speak around him, he didn’t want to expose him to the others.  Caring as this woman seemed, if Kyou didn’t wish to speak, then he could remain silent if he wanted.  “What’s going to happen to him?” he changed the subject.

“Well, he’ll return to school tomorrow,” she said.  “They’re aware that he can climb walls now, so they’ll keep a closer eye on him.”

“Does he participate in any after school activities?” Furihata asked.  Sometimes he found that even the most shy or closed off children would begin to smile when they played basketball.  Maybe a sport or something would help him fit in.

“He doesn’t currently, no,” she said.

“Might I suggest a program for him?” he asked and she raised an eyebrow.  “Ah, sorry, I used to be the coach for the mini-basketball club in town,” he explained.  “It might be good for him to get out and do something other than school.”

“I suppose, but,” she bit her lip.  “Although we strive to provide the best for our children, our budget doesn’t really-”

“I’ll pay for it,” Furihata offered and he saw Suzuki whip out a checkbook in his peripheral.

“Um, Akashi-san, I couldn’t-”

“Please,” he begged.  “Let me do this for him.”

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before agreeing.

“Thank you,” he smiled.

“Now,” Suzuki said from his side.  “To whom shall we make this out?”

Furihata was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the servants rushed greetings.  He looked up from his plate and saw his husband, still wearing his suit jacket and carrying a briefcase.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Kouki,” he set his things down in one of the empty chairs and walked over, kissing Furihata on the cheek.  “Our meeting went long,” he sighed.

“Your father can be long-winded, can’t he?”

“He certainly can,” he redhead chuckled and then gave him a proper kiss.  “How was your day?” he asked, taking his seat and sitting back just a bit so the staff could set his plate down and pour him something to drink.

“Eventful,” Furihata admitted.

“Oh, really?” Akashi asked, looking surprised.  It made sense.  Furihata hadn’t done much since they found out they couldn’t have children.  He’d been moping around and spending most of the day taking cat naps under the tree in the garden or in their library.  “May I ask what happened?” he couldn’t hide his smile and Furihata suddenly felt very guilty for worrying his husband.

“Well, I read one of my favorite books in the garden,” he said, trying to think of the best way to bring Kyou up.  “And I met someone.”

“Someone?” Akashi raised his brows.  “Should I be worried?” he joked, but there was still a bit of vulnerability in his eyes.

“I don’t think so,” Furihata chuckled.  “There was a little boy in our tree.”

“A…little boy?” the redhead blinked.  “How did he get there?”

“I’m pretty sure he climbed the wall,” the brunet answered.  “Anyway, he got caught on one of the branches so I had to help him down.  Of course,” he scratched the back of his head, “the trip down was a bit quicker than I would have liked.”

Akashi froze and then set his chopsticks down.

“Kouki,” he frowned.  “Just what does that mean?”

“Well, he sort of lost his balance and I tried to catch him and we,” he lowered his voice for the last part, “fell out of the tree.”

“Kouki!” Akashi stood up and rushed to his side.  “Are you hurt? What did you hit? Did you sprain anything? Is there a bruise? Did Suzuki phone for Shintarou? Are you-”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Furihata insisted, cupping his husband’s cheek.  “It’s just a bruise.”

“I still think it would be best if we took you to the doctor,” his husband frowned.

“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll go first thing in the morning,” he promised and it seemed to calm Akashi’s nerves.  “Now, about the boy-”

“Yes, is he all right?” Akashi asked, sitting back down.

“He’s fine. He just had a little cut on his cheek,” Furihata said. “I fixed him up and Suzuki called the school to let them know where he was.”

“He ran away from school?” the redhead raised his brows.  “How old is he?”

“Around four,” he said.  “He goes to preschool and they were just about done by the time we called, so they gave us his address.”

“I’m sure his parents were relieved to have him home,” Akashi began eating again.  “We should send a care package.”

“Um, about that,” Furihata suddenly felt nervous.  “Kyou doesn’t...” he chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“Kyou?”

“Oh, that’s his name,” the brunet said.  “The address the school gave us, it was,” he paused, taking a deep breath.  “It was for an orphanage.”  Akashi stopped eating again and looked over at him, crimson eyes boring into him, reading him like no one else could.

“He’s a little old,” he mused, but a smile broke out on his face.  “I thought you wanted a baby?”

“It’s a little soon to be thinking about that, isn’t it?” Furihata looked down, cheeks flushed.  “I only just met him and I don’t know if he’d even want to be a part of our-”

“Kouki,” Akashi was beside him again, combing his fingers through his hair.  “There’s no harm in interviewing with him, is there?”  The brunet looked up and shook his head.  “Then I’ll have Suzuki phone the orphanage and set one up,” he kissed his forehead.  “I’m very much looking forward to meeting this Kyou.”

*~*

Furihata was both nervous and excited.  Akashi had called the orphanage first thing in the morning to set up an interview with Kyou.  The brunet hadn’t heard the details, as his husband took the phone from Suzuki and walked into another room.  He was on the phone with them for quite a while, but he was probably just sorting out the details and giving all of their information.

He walked over to his favorite tree and sat down, book in hand.  Tomorrow he’d be meeting with Kyou again and today was the boy’s first day of mini-basketball.  He couldn’t wait to ask how he liked it.  He hoped he would.  It would be something the three of them could have in common.

Furihata had almost finished his book when he set it in his lap and rested his head against the tree’s trunk, beginning to nod off.  But he was startled awake by a rustling above him.  He shot up, nearly tipping over, and look up through the branches, immediately spotting the source of the noise.

“Kyou?” he asked and the silhouette moved, turning its head.

“Kouki!” he cheered and scrambled over to the trunk, sliding down and nearly falling on his bottom as he landed hard on the ground.  “You’re here again!” the boy smiled up at him, dirt smudged on his face and a leaf stuck in his hair.

“I could say the same to you,” Furihata laughed.  “This _is_ where I live, you know.”

“Oh, right,” Kyou blushed.

“Now, is there a reason you’re skipping school again?” he asked, trying to sound stern, but it was hard to hide how happy he was to see the child.  And the fact that Kyou was smiling so brightly made it even more difficult to scold him..

“I’m supposed to go to this club after school ends today,” Kyou pouted.  “But I wanted to come here,” he stomped his foot.  It was cute and, for a moment, Furihata almost pictured a miniature Akashi before him.

“I thought you’d be happy about going to mini-basketball,” the brunet removed the leaf from the boy’s hair.  “I signed you up, after all.”

“That was you?” he blinked up at him, amber eyes wide.  “I thought the lady wanted me to do it…”

“Nope, I’m afraid it was all my idea,” Furihata sat back down and motioned for Kyou to join him.  The boy took the offered seat.

“I guess if Kouki thinks I should go…”

“I know you’ll have a good time,” he pat his head.  “I may not look like it, but I used to be a basketball coach and I even played for a while.”

“You played basketball?” Kyou looked him up and down.  “But, I thought basketball guys were really tall.”

“Ouch,” Furihata winced and then laughed.  “I’m not that short, am I?”

“Oh, no, just,” Kyou’s face flushed.

“It’s okay,” the brunet said.  “I’m not upset.” He watched as Kyou let out a breath.  “So, are you going to go to mini-basketball?” he asked.  Kyou nodded.  “Good.”

Furihata stood up and brushed the leaves and dirt off of his pants before offering his hand to Kyou.

“Now, let’s get you back to school before you give your teacher a heart attack.”

“Okay…”

Furihata, with Suzuki flitting right behind him, walked Kyou back to school.  His teachers bowed and apologized over and over, but the brunet waved his hand in dismissal.  Honestly, he was happy he’d gotten to see Kyou, though he didn’t get a chance to tell him about the interview the following day.

Maybe he’d swing by practice.  It would be nice to check in on his old team and, Kyou was younger than a lot of the other kids, so the coaches might need some help.

He hummed happily to himself the rest of the walk home.

*~*

Practice was a disaster.  Furihata had only just walked into the gym when he heard a scream followed by someone crying.  The other coaches had already swarmed around the fallen boy by the time the brunet had made his way over.

The boy was clutching his arm, sniffling, and glaring at someone.  He followed his line of sight right to…

“Kyou?” he asked.  The four-year-old also had tears in his eyes.  “Kyou, what happened?”  But before the child could answer, another boy spoke.

“He bit me!” the older boy shouted.

“Is this true?” Furihata turned to Kyou, but the young boy was looking down, ashamed.

“I was just trying to show him how to shoot and when I grabbed the ball, he bit me!” the boy continued, gripping his arm.

“Here, let me see,” Furihata moved the boy’s hand to get a better look at the bite.  “The skin isn’t broken, but it’ll probably bruise,” he sighed.  “Let’s get it washed off and wrapped just in case.”  The boy nodded and followed one of the other coaches to the first aid kit hanging on the wall.

“Akashi-kun,” the other coach beckoned him over.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to Kyou before he walked a few steps away to speak with the coach.  “I’m sorry about that, I’m sure he’ll-”

“Akashi-kun,” he took a deep breath.  “I think Kyou-kun might be a little too young for this.”

“But he’s very smart and-”

“I’m sure that he is, but,” the coach rubbed the back of his neck.  “He’s only been here for twenty minutes and he’s pushed four of the children and, well, you saw what just happened.”  Furihata had no argument for that.  “Most of the children are at least six,” he continued.  “Maybe Kyou-kun can try again next year?”

“I understand,” he said, glancing back at Kyou.  “I’ll tell him.”

“I’m sorry, Akashi-kun.”

Furihata walked back over to Kyou, who had sat down and was hugging his knees to his chest.  The rest of the children had gone back to playing, even the boy he’d bitten.

“I’m sorry,” Kyou said before Furihata could say anything.  “I thought he was going to steal the ball and then I wouldn’t get to play.”

“Kyou…” the brunet sighed and mussed his hair.

“I just wanted to play basketball like Kouki,” he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve.  “They don’t want me here anymore, right?”

“They think it might be better if you try again next year when you’re a little older,” Furihata said and watched as Kyou buried his face in his knees.  “Maybe,” he began, unsure if he should mention the interview. “Maybe you could come over and practice with me after school,” he suggested.  “There’s a court near the main house and-”

“Would you really let me?” Kyou’s head popped up.

“If your guardian says it’s okay,” Furihata smiled.  Then he felt a light weight on his side.  Kyou had leaned so his head was resting on the brunet’s arm.  He looked down, surprised at the sudden contact.

“You’re nice, Kouki,” Kyou said, his eyes slipping closed.  “And you’re so soft,” he yawned.  “Like a mom.”

Furihata didn’t know whether to be insulted or not about that ‘soft’ part – he was out of shape, after all – but, judging by Kyou’s sleepy smile, he’d meant it as a compliment.

He scooped up the sleeping boy and waved to the coaches as he walked out of the gym.  The representative from the orphanage was outside waiting, biting her lip nervously.

“There was an incident, but everything is all right now,” Furihata told him.  “I imagine they called you?”

“They did,” she said, eyeing Kyou’s sleeping form.

“Maybe next year,” Furihata handed the boy over.  “And, there’s something I need to ask, but,” he shook his head.  “Sorry, you were taken away from your work early,” he ran a hand through his hair.  “I’ll just ask tomorrow.”

“Akashi-kun,” she began.  “Are you sure you want to meet for the interview tomorrow?”

He drew his brows down.  Sure, Kyou had bitten another boy, but that wasn’t uncommon in small children.  He wouldn’t change his mind just because of something like that.

“Your husband was very adamant, but-”

“Please don’t punish him for this,” Furihata interrupted her.  “I know what he did was wrong, but he’s adjusting, I think,” he watched as Kyou moved a bit in his sleep.  “We’ll continue as planned, if that’s all right.”

“Of course,” she sighed, eyes downcast.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Akashi-kun.”

*~*

Furihata had barely slept the entire night – which suited Akashi just fine for the first few, unclothed, sweaty hours, but once they were spent, all the redhead had wanted to do was go to sleep.

“Only two hours,” the brunet bounced around their bedroom, freshly showered.  “Can you believe it, Sei?” he asked, excitedly.

“I thought you said it was too early?” Akashi gave a sleepy chuckle from their bed.  “Weren’t we just interviewing to test the waters?”

“I know, but,” Furihata blushed.  “Just the idea of you and me being parents and Kyou...he’s...he’s such a good boy and he needs a family and-”

“I get it,” Akashi yawned and gave a stretch.  “Now I really can’t wait to meet him.”

“Oh, I know you’ll just love him,” he skipped over and kissed his husband on the lips, anxious body only stilling when Akashi cupped his cheek.

“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time,” he gave a smile, but his eyes looked sad.  “But, if this doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world.”

“I…I know that,” Furihata pulled away, looking to the side.

“It’s just that, the woman I spoke with from the orphanage said that Kyou was a special case,” he frowned up at him.  “She reluctantly agreed to our interview, but, if it’s not possible, I don’t want you to be too heartbroken, okay?”

Easier said than done.  Kyou had wriggled his way into Furihata’s heart and – no – it just had to work out.  There was a reason he’d chosen to climb their tree that day.

“There are plenty of children who need homes and-”

“Sei,” he leaned down so their faces were level.  “You know I never ask for anything.”

“I know,” the redhead sighed.  “It makes shopping for you very difficult.”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like he was destined to meet us,” he continued.  “Wait until you meet him. You’ll understand.”

When they arrived a half an hour early for their interview, they were let into the orphanage.  Furihata’s eyes never left Akashi.  He was watching to gauge his husband’s reaction.  He seemed to approve of the facility, so that was a relief.

Since, they still had time before their meeting, they were invited to come out and watch the children play outside.  It wasn’t a school day, so there were several children of all ages playing together.  Furihata felt Akashi reach for his hand, lacing their fingers together.

“Which one is he?” he asked.

Furihata scanned the playground for Kyou and finally spotted him sitting by himself under a tree.

“Come with me,” he pulled his husband forward and didn’t miss the confusion on the redhead’s face when they passed the other children by.  He gave Akashi’s hand a squeeze and released it, ducking down under the low branches.  “Kyou?” he got the boy’s attention.

“Kouki?” Kyou, who had looked morose before, brightened, his amber eyes lighting up.  “You’re here?” he asked excitedly.

“Yes,” he smiled.  “I brought my husband with me,” he stepped to the side to reveal Akashi.  “This is Akashi Seijuurou.”

“Nice to meet you, Kyou,” Akashi bowed.  “Kouki has told me a lot about you.”

“Um…” Kyou looked over at Furihata and then back at the other man.  “Hi, Seijuu…Seiijuuo…Se-”

“Just ‘Sei’ is fine,” the redhead chuckled.  “It’s a tough name.”  Kyou smiled, relieved.  “So, why aren’t you playing with the other kids?”

“Oh,” Kyou looked away.  “They don’t ask me to play anymore.”

“Would you like me to ask for y-” but Furihata cut Akashi off.

“Sei and I would like to play with you,” the brunet shot his husband an apologetic glance, chocolate eyes conveying the message that he’d explain later.

“Yes,” the redhead followed.  “What would you like to play?”

“I…I wanna play basketball,” Kyou said.  “But, Sei doesn’t look like the kind of guy who likes it.”

“Don’t let the suit fool you,” Furihata snickered.  “Sei was a member of the Generation of Miracles,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“The Germation of Murkles?” Kyou looked confused and the men hid their laughter.

“Come now, Kouki, he wouldn’t know about that,” Akashi smiled and crouched down so he was at Kyou’s level.  “It’s a group of old guys who really like basketball,” he explained.

“Ooh!” Kyou stood up, amber eyes wide and excited.  “Then, can we play?”

“Of course,” Akashi removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves.  “You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little rusty.”

They played together on half of the court on the playground – the other half was dedicated to foursquare and hopscotch.  Akashi only accidentally used his ankle break on Furihata once, earning a frustrated glare from the brunet and a fit of giggles from Kyou.  They played until someone called for them.  It was time for their interview.

“Will you come back and play again after?” Kyou tugged on Akashi’s sleeve, the basketball tucked under his little arm.

“Sure,” he smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair.  He put his jacket back on and smoothed his hair before turning to his husband.  “How do I look?” he asked and Furihata grinned.

“Like a Dad.”

*~*

The first part of the interview was meeting with the woman in charge – Shiroi-san, as they found out.  She still looked uneasy as they walked into her office.

“Thank you for seeing us,” Akashi said as he straightened his tie and sat down next to Furihata.  “I know you said that Kyou was a special case and I think I understand,” the redhead went on.  “But, being a little shy doesn’t make him-”

“I don’t think I was clear over the phone,” Shiroi interrupted him, startling them both.  “It’s not because of Kyou’s behavior.”

“If it’s about his memories,” Furihata spoke, “We’re more than happy to work with him.”

“I told you that Kyou came to us four months ago, yes?” she asked and the brunet nodded.  “He was sent here as soon as he was discharged from the hospital,” she explained.  “He had no identification on him save for his first name written on the inside of his jacket,” she said.  “Kyou is not adoptable because there is no one to sever parental rights,” she frowned.  “We can’t adopt him out until we know who he is.”

Furihata felt his blood run cold.  This meant that Kyou would be stuck in limbo.  If his parents hadn’t come forward after four months, then there was a chance they might never do so.  And, if they didn’t…

“So, we can’t…” the brunet felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes.  Once again, he had come so close to having a family and it was taken away.  He felt Akashi grip his hand.

“And if his parents come forward and release their rights?” he asked.

“Then he’d be available, but I don’t think-”

“Thank you, Shiroi-san,” he stood up and bowed.

“Sei?” Furihata looked up at him.

“We'll have to say goodbye to Kyou for now,” he looked over his shoulder.  “There are a few phone calls I have to make.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papakashi is on it now! But what about Kyou's past? Will he be able to be adopted?  
> Find out next time~ (wow, sorry, that was kinda cheesy)
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr~  
> http://jubesy.tumblr.com/


	33. Coming Home III - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I named the lady in charge of the orphanage "Shiroi-san" and Akashi's late mother's name was "Shiori" For a second I thought I named them the same, lol. I didn't, but...man those are similar. I hope that doesn't get confusing ^^;
> 
> Please enjoy the continuation of Kyou's homecoming~

Furihata lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep.  He’d already missed breakfast and it was now nearly lunchtime.  He rolled onto his side and stared out their open bedroom window, the orphanage director’s words echoing in his head.

_‘Kyou is not adoptable because there is no one to sever parental rights…We can’t adopt him out until we know who he is.’_

Kyou was stuck there because his parents had never come forward to claim him after he was brought from the hospital.  Furihata closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.  He wanted so badly for Akashi to be beside him now, to hold him.  But, if his husband was there, he knew he’d break down and start crying again.  And that wasn’t fair.  It wasn’t Akashi or Kyou’s fault.  And, even though he blamed himself, deep down, Furihata knew it wasn’t his fault, either.

Still…he wished he could do something for Kyou.  It was obvious that the boy wasn’t happy there.  He was being well taken care of, but he needed more than an education, three square meals a day, and recess.  He needed a family.

Just then, he heard their bedroom door click open.  Furihata turned, surprised to see his husband enter the room.  He was certain he’d left for work hours ago.  He opened his mouth to greet him, but Akashi, who was on his phone, held up a hand to silence him for a moment.

“If that’s all the information you have,” he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.  “Yes, thank you for your assistance.”  He ended the call and set his phone down on the nightstand.  “You’re still in bed?” he frowned slightly, sitting on the edge of the mattress and mussing the brunet’s hair.

“I didn’t feel like getting up,” Furihata admitted.  He knew he should stop blaming himself for their lack of a family, but the recent development with Kyou reminded him of what happened months earlier, when Furihata found out that he was unable to have children.  And, because of this, he thought they’d never have the family they wanted.

“Kouki,” Akashi sighed.  “You look pale,” he drew his brows down.  “Have you eaten?”

“No…” the brunet said, eyes downcast.  He couldn’t lie to his husband.  He hadn’t eaten anything since the day before.

“You have to eat,” Akashi moved his thumb to trace just under Furihata’s eye.  He knew he must be sporting dark circles.

“Maybe later.”

“Kouki,” the redhead spoke with the authoritative tone he used with his employees or, years ago, when he was captain of his team.  “Eat. Now.”

“I’m…not hungry,” Furihata was being stubborn, he knew.  But every time he remembered the look on Kyou’s face when they said goodbye the day before, he lost his appetite.  Kyou had been so excited when they’d walked out of Shiroi-san’s office.  He stood there, smiling up at them with a basketball in his hands.  But then Akashi was crouching by his side, explaining that they couldn’t play anymore that day and that they’d be back.

“Kouki,” Akashi’s voice was soft now, gentle.  “I know you’re upset about Kyou.”

“He’s already lost his parents,” Furihata felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes.  “And now he can’t even be adopted because they won’t come forward,” his lower lip quivered.  “I don’t know what to do to help him.”  His face crumpled and he buried it in his hands as sobs wracked his body.

“Shh…” his husband pulled him close.  “I know,” he rubbed his back in soothing circles.  “I’ve been on the phone all morning,” he explained.  “But I’m not any closer to locating his parents than I was last night.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“Kouki, I…” he paused, “I have a proposition for you,” he began.  “Though, it may not be exactly what we want.”

Furihata sniffled and pulled back, looking up at him.

“What is it, Sei?”

“We may not be able to adopt Kyou because of the restrictions, but,” he wiped a tear from the other's cheek.  “How would you feel about us being his foster parents?”

“Foster?”

“I confirmed with Shiroi-san,” he explained.  “Even though he’s not available for adoption right now, the option is there.”

“What does that mean?” Furihata asked.  He hadn’t done much research on fostering before.  He’d been so brokenhearted about being sterile, that he hadn’t looked up any information on anything else.

“He would live in our home, under our care,” Akashi explained.  “Shiroi-san would schedule regular visits to check up on him and make sure that we’re providing an excellent environment and allowing him to thrive.”

“You mean,” the brunet swallowed.  “He could live here...with us?”

“Yes,” his husband smiled.  “It wouldn’t be a permanent thing, but, hopefully, we’ll locate his parents and then we can discuss the matter of adopti-” but he was cut off when Furihata wrapped him in a tight hug, crushing their lips together.

“Sei, you’re amazing,” he gasped when they pulled apart. “I love you, I love you so much,” he kissed him again and again, peppering the redhead’s face.  Finally, he pulled back, cheeks flushed and smile wide.  “When can we pick him up?”

“Well, we’ll have to head to Shiroi-san’s office to fill out some paperwork and then she’ll need to come by to inspect our home and ensure that we have the necessary supplies for taking care of a four-year-old,” he said.  “But, after that, we should be able to bring him-”

“What are we waiting for?” Furihata made to stand up, nearly falling over when his legs got tangled in the bed sheets.  “Let’s head over there now,” he managed to get to his feet, but he pitched forward, as he was hit with a sudden dizzy spell.

“Hold on, Kouki,” Akashi caught him before he could fall.  “First thing’s first,” he brushed a thumb over his cheek.  “You need to eat something.”  He looked stern, but then he smiled.  “It would be rude to pass out on Shiroi-san’s desk.”

“But I’m not hungry-” just then Furihata’s stomach growled loudly.  “Oh,” his face turned bright red.  “Well, maybe I’ll have a little snack.”

A shower and a three-course meal later – upon Akashi’s insistence – the two were headed back to the orphanage to sign the necessary paperwork and to tell Kyou the good news.

Apparently, since their last visit, they’d been the talk of the orphanage.  Or, more specifically, Akashi had been.  When Furihata and his husband walked into the courtyard to find Kyou, all of the children stopped playing and looked over at them.  Akashi was unfazed, as he was used to the attention, but Furihata felt a little nervous.  Had they heard about them wanting to adopt Kyou?

But the reason for their sudden interested became evident as they made their way through the playground and toward the basketball court, the children’s whispers a lot louder than they probably realized.

‘That super rich guy right?’

‘He’s looking for a kid.’

‘Think it’ll be one of us?’

‘He’s walking by!’

Furihata easily spotted Kyou under the tree near the court.  He was holding a basketball and turning it over in his hands.  The brunet couldn’t help, but smile as he thought about how excited the boy would be when he received the news.

“Mind if we join you?” he asked and Kyou jumped.  He hadn’t heard them coming.

“Kouki?” he blinked up at him.  “Kouki!” he cheered.  “And Sei came, too,” he looked back and forth between the two of them.  “Are you here to play basketball again?”

“Actually, we’re here to meet with Shiroi-san,” Akashi crouched down beside him.

“The head lady?” Kyou cocked his head to the side.  “Why?”

“Well,” Akashi began, but then looked up at Furihata.  “Tell him, Kouki.”

“Kyou, how would you like to come live with us,” he asked.  “With Sei and me?”

“Live with you?” amber eyes blinked in surprise.  “You mean, like…like be a family?” he asked.

“That’s the idea,” Akashi smiled.  “Although, we can’t adopt you yet.”

“Why not?”  The boy’s face fell.

“There’s some tricky grownup stuff involved,” Furihata took a seat on his other side.  “But someday soon, if you like living with us, we’d like that,” he grinned.  “To become a family, that is.”

“To become a family…with Kouki and Sei…” Kyou looked like he was deep in though.  “Can we play basketball?”

“Yes,” Akashi answered, stifling a chuckle.

“Do I still have to go to school?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid you can’t get out of that,” Furihata laughed.

“Hmm…” Kyou rubbed his chin.  “Yes!” he said and stood up.  “I’ll go get my stuff.”

“Well, we can’t take you with us just yet,” the brunet took one of his small hands in his.  “We need to talk to Shiroi-san first and then we have to pass a few tests.”

“Tests?”

“Parent tests,” Akashi explained.  “They wouldn’t send you home with just anybody.”

“Well, I guess that’s okay,” Kyou sat back down.  “Will you come and play basketball with me after you talk to the head lady?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the redhead ruffled his hair and Furihata felt warmth bubble up in his chest.  Akashi was so good with him.  Kyou was such a good boy.  They were going to be a family.  “Now, Kouki and I have to go for a little bit, okay?”

“Okay,” Kyou nodded.  “Don’t forget to come back and play.”

“We won’t,” Furihata stood up and dusted off his pants.  He reached for Akashi’s hand and helped him up.  “Why don’t you practice that move Sei taught you while we’re in our meeting?” he said to Kyou.

“Okay!” he beamed up at them.  “This time I’ll knock Kouki over,” he giggled and ran over to the court.  Furihata shot his husband a look and the redhead laughed.

The meeting went well enough.  They were certainly qualified financially and they had a list of personal references a mile long.  The only thing left was the initial home inspection.

“I’ll be visiting your home tomorrow and then, pending our office’s approval of my report, Kyou should be able to move in with you sometime next week,” she said, eyes wary.  “Of course, I needn’t remind you that, without his parents’ consent, he won’t be able to be legally adopted.”

“We haven’t forgotten,” Akashi said cordially.  Furihata knew that she was just looking out for what was best for Kyou, but her constant reminders made his heart ache.  He felt Akashi take his hand and give it a squeeze.  He looked over and saw his husband’s eyes on him.  Furihata offered him a smile.  He didn’t need to be getting depressed now.  They were well on their way to becoming Kyou’s foster parents and that got them one step closer to being a real family.

The next day, they passed Shiroi-san’s inspection with flying colors.  But, of course, they would.  The Akashi family always did strive for perfection.

The week-long waiting period felt like years to Furihata.  He kept himself busy by reorganizing the library, picking out all the children’s books and putting them on the shelves in the room they’d chosen for Kyou.  Of course, he realized that they didn’t have nearly enough, so, he got himself out of the house, heading to every bookstore in the area to find the perfect collection for their foster son.

“And,” Furihata gushed to his husband over dinner, “I actually found a book on the Generation of Miracles while I was out,” he laughed, holding up the picture book, a cute cartoon image of his husband and their friends drawn on the cover.  “It’s cute and it rhymes,” he beamed.

“I’m glad to see you smiling again,” Akashi took the book with one hand and held Furihata’s with the other.  “I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.”

“I’m sorry,” the brunet felt ashamed.  He’d been upset for so long and, even though he hadn’t meant to worry his husband, he had.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he brought his hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle lovingly.  “It’s okay to be sad, you know,” he smiled against his skin.  “But, I do prefer for you to be happy.”

“I am,” Furihata promised.  “Kyou’s due to move in tomorrow,” he couldn’t help but smile.  “I can’t wait to show him his room.”

“I’m sure he’ll love it,” Akashi released his hand and reached for his glass, but before he could bring it to his lips, Suzuki walked into the room and cleared his throat.

“Akashi-sama,” the butler bowed.  “Midorima-sensei is on the phone for you.”

“Ah, thank you,” he stood up.  “Kouki, I have to take this.”

Furihata nodded and watched as his husband walked out of the room.  It was unusual for Midorima to call, but it wasn’t like they never spoke.  The brunet continued eating his dinner.  He’d ask Akashi about it later.

He didn’t get the chance until they were both getting ready for bed.  Akashi was standing at the bathroom counter in just his pajama pants, brushing his teeth, when Furihata walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Mmph?” Akashi turned, his mouth full of toothpaste.

“What did Midorima-kun want?” he asked, pressing his cheek against Akashi’s back.  He felt them pitch forward and heard his husband spit into the sink before he answered.

“I asked him to look into Kyou’s case for us,” he explained.  “He wasn’t working when Kyou was brought in, but the attending physician is a senpai of his.”

“Did he find anything?” Furihata asked, afraid to know the answer.  He wanted to find Kyou’s parents.  They were the only ones who could severe their parental rights and allow him to be adopted.  But, at the same time, he was afraid.  What if they wanted him back?  And what if Kyou wanted to go with them?  They were his parents.  It was selfish to try and keep him from them.

“Nothing yet,” Akashi answered.  “The police are still investigating his case.”

“I wonder what happened to him,” Furihata sighed, remembering the jagged scar just above Kyou’s temple.  “Maybe it’s better that he doesn’t remember…”

“Hey,” the redhead turned around and cupped Furihata’s face.  “If the time comes when he’s forced to relive whatever it was, we’ll be there for him,” he touched their foreheads, giving a warm smile.  “Okay?”

“Okay,” Furihata returned the smile, feeling a little better.

The next morning, the brunet was pacing back and forth in their grand foyer.

“Kouki, please sit down,” Akashi said for the tenth time.  “You’re starting to make Suzuki nervous,” he chuckled and eyed their butler.

“Please pay Akashi-sama no mind,” Suzuki stood straighter.  “Pace as frantically as you’d like.”

“I’m sorry,” Furihata stood still and rubbed the nape of his neck.  “I’m just really excited.”

“I know,” Akashi crossed over to him and put his hands on his shoulders.  “I am, too.”

“I’m glad you took off work to welcome him,” the brunet added, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Well, I wanted to be here,” he said, gently massaging his shoulders.  “This is a big step.”

“Yeah,” Furihata felt nervous again.  He hoped that he’d made Kyou’s room nice enough.  He wanted the boy to have whatever he wanted and for him to feel at home.  “Maybe I should check his room one more time,” he turned to leave, but he stopped when their doorbell rang.  “Oh!” he squeaked.  “This is it,” he turned toward Akashi.  He realized too late that he’d been staring up at his husband for too long.

“Shall we let him in?” Akashi asked and Furihata blushed.

“Oh, right,” he chuckled nervously.

“Allow me, Akashi-sama,” Suzuki bowed and walked over to the door.

“Ready?” Akashi asked, gripping Furihata’s hand.

“As I’ll ever be,” he answered breathlessly.

Then Suzuki opened the door and both of their faces fell.

“Good morning!” a tall man with dark brown hair walked through their door, holding a rather large present in his arms.  “And just where is that grandson of mine?” he looked around expectantly.

“Dad,” Akashi greeted, shaking his head slightly.  “He hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Ah, well, I’m glad I haven’t missed him,” Masaomi set the box down on a long table in the entryway.  “Bring in the rest, please,” he motioned behind him and a fleet of delivery men came through their door.  They were all carrying wrapped gifts, each larger than the last.

“Akashi-san,” Furihata began, but Masaomi clicked his tongue.

“Come now, Kouki,” he crossed his arms over his chest.  “We agreed, no more of that.”

“Ah, right,” the younger brunet blushed.  “Ah, D-Dad,” he cleared his throat.  “Why all the presents?”

“You said he was coming today, right?”

They nodded.

“Well, I wanted to give my grandson a proper welcome,” he grinned.  “Akashi Kyou,” he tested the name.  “Sounds perfect.”

“Dad, we’re fostering Kyou,” Akashi corrected him.  “He won’t have our last name.”

“Not yet,” Masaomi held up a finger.  “But, once you get all that custody business sorted out, he’ll be an Akashi in no time.”

“Dad…”

“Or a Furihata. Either way,” he chuckled.  “Though, I think you know which I prefer.”

“Dad-” but Akashi didn’t get to finish whatever it was he was going to say, as there was a light rapping on the open door.  They turned and saw Shiroi-san standing with Kyou beside her.  He was wearing an overstuffed backpack and smiling brightly.

“Kouki!” he shouted and ran toward Furihata, wrapping his arms around his legs.  “It’s today!” he beamed, amber eyes shining.

“Yes, it’s today,” Furihata crouched down and hugged him properly.  The four-year-old pulled back and looked up at Akashi.

“Sei!” he greeted.  Akashi knelt beside them and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Welcome home, Kyou,” he said, eyes warm.  They heard someone clear their throat and the three looked up at Akashi’s father.  Kyou shrunk down a bit, peering over Furihata’s shoulder.

“Who’s that?” he whispered.

“That’s Sei’s dad,” Furihata said.

“Akashi Masaomi,” he introduced himself and brought over the present he’d carried in.  “But you can call me ‘Grandpa’,” he held the gift out.  Kyou looked hesitant.  “Go on,” he urged.

“Thank you,” he took the box and opened it.  “Wow!” his eyes went wide.  Inside was a miniature trainset.

“Do you like it?” Masaomi asked.

“I love it!” he pulled away from Furihata and pounced on the older man.  “Thank you, Grandpa!”

“You’re very welcome,” he laughed, nearly losing his balance.  “If you like that, you should have Kouki show you his collection.  He’s got a whole village downstairs.”

“You mean there’s more?” Kyou asked.

“Akashi-san likes to give gifts,” Furihata shook his head.  “Would you like to see them, Kyou?”

“Yes, please,” he took the brunet’s hand.  “Can we go now?”

“Let me check with Shiroi-san,” he looked back at her.

“Please go ahead,” she waved, still standing in the doorway.

“Would you care to join us?” Akashi asked her.

“No, I really must be on my way,” she took a folder out of her bag.  “I just need your signatures and we’ll be all set,” she explained.  “I’ll visit every couple of days for the first few weeks and then it will be once a month.”

“Kyou, why don’t you go downstairs with Grandpa and we’ll join you in a minute?” Akashi offered.

“Okay,” Kyou released Furihata’s hand and grabbed Masaomi’s.  “C’mon, Grandpa!” he pulled him forward.

“Wait, Kyou, it’s this way,” the older man’s voice echoed through the foyer and then they were gone.

The first night went well.  Masaomi stayed for dinner – a huge event he’d secretly had catered to welcome Kyou home.  Kyou slept in his new room, which was now littered with torn wrapping paper from the many gifts he’d received from his new ‘Grandpa.’

Furihata shifted restlessly in their bed.  Akashi yawned and turned over, wrapping an arm around him.

“What is it, Kouki?” he asked, voice gravelly.

“Maybe I should check on him one more time,” the brunet wriggled out of his grasp and threw the comforter back.

“You’ve checked on him five times,” Akashi sounded stern, but he was smiling.  “He’s asleep.”

“I know, but what if he has a bad dream or he wakes up and can’t remember where the bathroom is or-”

“He’s fine,” he reached out for him.  “Come back to bed, Kouki.”

“Okay,” Furihata took one step forward and then spun around on his heel.  “Just one more time.”

The next morning, Kyou had preschool.  Even though it wasn’t technically his first day of school, Akashi and Furihata took about a hundred pictures of him with his new school clothes and supplies.  Kyou smiled and waved after they dropped him off.

“He looks happy,” Furihata said as they walked back home.

“He does,” Akashi agreed.  “I wish I could be there to pick him up with you,” he leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.  “But I’ll see you at home for dinner.”

“Okay,” Furihata kissed him again.  “Have a good day at work.”

The days went by easily.  Akashi and Furihata would walk Kyou to school in the morning.  Then Furihata would pick him up and the two would play with his model trains or relax under the apricot tree with a good book in the afternoon.  After dinner, the three of them would play basketball.  Sometimes even Masaomi would join in, though he preferred to keep score.

Every Friday, they had Furihata’s family over.  His parents were even worse about getting Kyou unnecessary gifts.  The boy’s room was overflowing.  And, with Kousuke and Minami’s baby due any day now, they were in Super Grandparent Mode.

It was nice.  It was comfortable.  It really felt like a real family.

One night, after Furihata had finished reading Kyou’s bedtime story and had just tucked him in, he decided to ask.

“Kyou,” he began, feeling a little nervous.

“Yes, Kouki?”

“Are you,” he swallowed.  “Are you happy here?”

“Kouki,” the little boy stood up and put his hands on his hips.  “You worry too much.”  He honestly looked so much like Akashi then, the brunet wondered if they weren’t really related.  “Kouki and Sei are the best,” he smiled.  “I want to always be together.”

“Me, too,” Furihata hugged him.

“Kouki?” Kyou whispered.

“Yes?” he pulled back and noticed that the boy looked worried.  “What’s wrong?”

“I heard the lady, Shiroi-san talking about my real mommy and daddy,” he said.  He must have overheard their conversation during one of her visits.  “I know that’s why you can’t adopt me for real.”

“Kyou-”

“It’s okay because Kouki and Sei are my family now,” he said.  “If my mommy and daddy come back, I’ll tell them that I want to live with you.”

“If that’s what you want,” Akashi said, suddenly appearing in the doorway.  “But, is that okay, even if they’re sad?”

“They won’t be sad,” Kyou smiled up at the redhead. “Kouki and Sei are the best,” he said it so easily.  “They’ll be happy for me.”

Later that night, when Furihata and Akashi were in their bedroom, they talked about Kyou’s parents again.

“So, he overheard us talking,” Akashi mused.

“Seems so,” Furihata sighed.  “He shouldn’t have to worry about any of this.”

“I know,” Akashi turned to face him.  “It would be wonderful if he could just be a kid.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Sei,” Furihata began, eyes downcast.  “What if they want him back?”

“Kouki,” he captured his chin and tilted his head up.  “We don’t know if that’s what they want,” he said.  “They haven’t come forward for nearly six months."

“Even so…”  There was a still a chance.

“We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I’m afraid,” Akashi kissed his forehead.  “Don’t worry about things we can’t control.”

But Furihata was still worried.

The news came a few weeks later, while the three were eating breakfast.  It was a Sunday and they had plans to go out, just the three of them.

“Akashi-sama,” Suzuki stepped into the room.  “I’m sorry to interrupt your meal, but there’s a policeman here to see you.”

“Police?” Furihata felt his pulse quicken.  It wasn’t like he’d ever done anything illegal in his entire life, but still, a policeman coming into your house didn’t usually bode well.

“I’ll handle this,” Akashi wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and stood up.  “I’ll be right back.”

Furihata and Kyou watched as he followed Suzuki out of the room.

“Is Sei in trouble?” Kyou asked.

“No, Kyou, I don’t think so,” he gave him a reassuring smile, but he was worried.  “Actually,” he stood up.  “I’m going to go check on him,” he looked over at one of their maids.  “Would you please keep an eye on Kyou?”

“I want to come, too!” the four-year-old begged.

“I’ll be right back, I promise,” Furihata pat his head and walked over to where Akashi was.  With each step down the hall, he felt his heart beat faster.  Something was wrong.  He could feel it. 

He spotted Akashi talking to the policeman in the foyer.  He continued on, mouth open, about to ask what the matter was, but the cop’s words had him frozen on the spot.

“His paternal grandmother just stepped forward, as she was informed of his whereabouts only recently,” the policeman explained.

“Does that mean your men were unable to locate his parents?” Akashi asked, face serious.

“We were contacted by the hospital that admitted them,” he said.

“And?”

“His grandmother has been granted full custody.”

“I don’t understand,” Akashi furrowed his brow.  “Did they release their rights to her?”

“Akashi-san, she is the boy’s only living relative,” he took a breath.  “Both of his parents were killed in the accident.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. (Sorry!)


	34. Coming Home IV - AkaFuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! It's the end of Kyou's story (or the beginning, if you think about it)  
> Thanks for sticking with me as I figured this one out.
> 
> And thanks to my beta, indevan, of course.  
> Please enjoy~

Furihata stood there, unable to move.  Kyou’s parents had never come forward, not because they didn’t want him anymore, but because they were dead.  Killed in the same accident that had taken his memory.  Akashi’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Have you come to collect him?” the redhead appeared calm, but Furihata knew better.

“I have not,” the policeman replied.  “Just to deliver the message to you personally,” he said.  “Some things shouldn't be said over the phone.”

“Thank you, Officer,” Akashi reached out and shook his hand.  “I appreciate the work your team has done in order to locate Kyou’s parents.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you happier news,” the other man sighed.  “Well, I should be going.”

“Yes, I wouldn’t want to keep you,” he paused.  “And what of his grandmother?”

“We have her most recent contact information on file, but, as I mentioned, she’s been out of the country,” the policeman pulled out a small notepad from his back pocket.  “You’re welcome to give this number a call, but I don’t think you’ll get an answer until she’s back in Japan.”  He tore the page out and handed it to Akashi.

“Thank you,” Akashi took it from him.

“Have a nice day, Akashi-san,” he tipped his hat and turned around, making his way back to his patrol car. 

Furihata’s numb legs began moving on their own, walking him closer to his husband.

“She’ll take him away,” he said without realizing.

“Kouki,” Akashi looked surprised to see him.  “I thought you were with Kyou.”

“I wanted to make sure you were all right,” the brunet’s eyes focused on the piece of notepaper in his husband’s hands.  “She’s coming for Kyou.”  It wasn’t a question.

“She’s been abroad, which explains why she hasn’t come for him yet,” Akashi sighed.  “Perhaps if we talk to her, she’ll-”

“I’m afraid,” Furihata admitted, hands starting to shake.  “What if she won’t let us see him?” he felt tears stinging his eyes.  “What if we never see him again?” he sobbed.

“Kouki…” Akashi’s eyes softened.  He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.  “We don’t know if that will happen.”

“But we don’t know if it won’t, either,” Furihata grit his teeth.  “Kyou’s happy here,” he sniffled.  “He loves your dad and my family and his room and our tree in the garden,” his lower lip quivered.  “This is his home.”

“But she’s his family,” Akashi cupped his cheek.  “Would you keep him from his only family?”

“No,” the brunet shook his head.  “I would never…”

“Let’s spend our day off together as planned,” he offered, kissing his forehead.  “We’ll call his grandmother first thing in the morning and sort things out then.”  He pulled back and smiled.  Furihata nodded and the two walked back into the dining room.  Kyou looked uneasy when they returned, but he quickly brightened when he noticed them.

“You’re back,” he cheered and hopped out of his chair.  “Are we going to the zoo now?”

“Yes,” Akashi ruffled his hair, like he always did.  Furihata felt his heart clench when he realized that this might be the last time he could.

Their day together was just as amazing as every day leading up to it had been.  The only difference was the pain in Furihata’s chest every time he remembered that Kyou would soon be leaving them.  Still, he tried to commit every moment to memory.  The way the boy’s amber eyes lit up when he saw the lions.  And how cute the two of them looked when he and Akashi were sharing a snow cone.  The feel of Kyou’s weight on his back as Furihata carried him to the car, the four-year-old tuckered out from running around the zoo all day.

Kyou woke up in time for dinner. The three of them decided to have a picnic in the garden under the apricot tree.  They talked and laughed and worried when Kyou climbed up to the top, but he clambered back down when Furihata called for him.

That night, as Furihata and Akashi were tucking him in, Kyou sighed, a sigh much too heavy for a four-year-old boy.

“What is it, Kyou?” Akashi asked, smoothing his hair.

“Do I have to go?” he asked, gripping the covers.

“Go where?” the redhead blinked.

“With Grandma?” Kyou sat up, a frown on his little face.  “I’m sorry. I followed Kouki.”

“So, you heard,” Akashi sat down on the bed beside him.

“I’m sorry, Kyou,” Furihata felt the tears coming again.  “We were going to tell you, but-”

“Maybe Grandma will take Kouki and Sei, too,” the little boy looked up at them hopefully.  “And then we can all be a family together.”

“That…that would be nice, Kyou,” Akashi pat his head.  “But, that may not happen.”

“We could ask her,” Kyou reasoned.  “Maybe she’s really nice and she’ll let me stay,” he looked up at Furihata.  “Right, Kouki?” but his amber eyes widened.  “Kouki, you’re crying!”

“Oh, I-” Furihata felt both their eyes on him and he covered his mouth to keep from sobbing.  “I…I’ve just got something in my eye.”  He stood up.  “Excuse me a moment,” he ran out of the room, unable to hold the tears back any longer.  He didn’t want Kyou to see him like this.  It wasn’t fair.  He was just a child.  He didn’t need to feel bad for him.

Furihata stood just outside the door, waiting for Akashi to finish tucking Kyou in.

“Is Kouki okay, Sei?” he heard Kyou ask.

“He’s just worried that we won’t be able to spend time together anymore,” Akashi said.  Furihata wondered how he could be so calm when talking about this.

“Will you call Grandma tomorrow?” Kyou’s voice came again.

“Yes.”

“If Grandma takes me to live with her, I will come back and see Sei and Kouki every day,” he promised.  “Because you’re my family.”

“Kyou…”

Furihata felt like breaking down.  He didn’t hear the rest.  It was only when the door clicked shut beside him, that he came out of his fog.  He was waiting for the disappointed look Akashi would give him, knowing that he shouldn’t have lost his composure in front of Kyou like that.  He turned toward his husband, but his apology never made it past his lips.

“Kouki,” Akashi had tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Sei,” Furihata’s breath caught.  Akashi leaned forward, resting his head on the brunet’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist. When he felt his husband’s body begin to body shake, he lost it, too.

*~*

As it turned out, they didn’t have to reach out to Kyou’s grandmother.  They were woken up the next morning by a knock on their bedroom door.  It was Suzuki.

“Sorry to disturb you,” he bowed.  “But you have a phone call from an Umemiya-san.”

Akashi and Furihata exchanged glances, each noting the others red and puffy eyes.  They knew who it was before answering.

She had just arrived in Japan the night before and was still adjusting to the time change.  She scheduled a meeting with them at their home for later in the afternoon.  She was short with them, but it may have been due to her jetlag.

“Kouki,” Kyou began as he helped Furihata fold another one of his shirts before putting it into a suitcase.  “Why are we packing?”

“Because,” the brunet swallowed, trying to keep it together.  “Your grandma is coming today and she may want to take you home with her.”

“But…I don’t want to go,” he frowned.  “I want to stay with Kouki and Sei.”

“I know, Kyou,” Furihata bit his lip.  “I know.”

“Have you picked out your favorite shirts?” Akashi poked his head in, his face not looking much better than Furihata’s, but he tried.

“Sei, tell Kouki that I don’t want to go,” he said, putting his hands on his hips and looking like a mini-Akashi again.  “He doesn’t believe me.”

“It’s not that Kouki doesn’t believe you,” Akashi said in a soft voice as he entered the room, crouching down beside the boy.  “It’s that he knows it’s not up to us.”

“But this is my home,” Kyou pouted, but didn’t shed a tear.  He was strong, Furihata thought.  “And this is my room.”

“This will always be your room,” Furihata blurted out before he thought to stop himself.  “Even if you aren’t living with us anymore,” he swore.

“Kouki…” Akashi began, sounding as though he might scold him, but he stopped.  “He’s right,” he turned toward Kyou.  “You’ll always be welcome here.”

“But I want to _stay_ here,” Kyou stressed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Akashi-sama,” Suzuki looked solemn.  “Umemiya-san is here with her lawyer.”

It felt like Furihata had been drenched with a bucket of ice water.  She’d brought her lawyer.  Well, of course she would.  This was an issue of legality.

“Very well,” Akashi stood up.  “Please call my father over.”

At first Furihata thought it was for emotional support, but he’d forgotten that his father-in-law had a law degree.  He wasn’t the Akashis’ family lawyer, but he’d do in a pinch, especially if Umemiya-san tried to accuse them of something.  His husband was always prepared.

“I’ll meet with her,” Akashi turned toward Furihata.  “Please bring Kyou out when Suzuki comes for you.”  The brunet nodded and jumped slightly when he felt Kyou reach for his hand, startling him.  He looked down and smiled at the boy.  He needed to be brave for him.  He had to be.

It only took a few moments for Suzuki to come back and get them.  Perhaps his grandmother was eager to see him.  He had been missing for several months.

Kyou squeezed his hand tightly as they walked into the formal living room to the left of the foyer.  Akashi was seated on one of the couches and a woman who looked surprising young sat across from him.  She looked well-bred and almost regal in the way she held herself.  Furihata wasn’t sure what he’d pictured Kyou’s grandmother looking like, but the straight-backed, salt and pepper-haired woman seated across from his husband wasn’t it.

“Kouki,” Kyou squeezed his hand tighter and hid himself behind Furihata’s leg.

“Kyou?” the woman stood up suddenly, her haughty appearance melting away.  She almost looked vulnerable.  “You…you look just like him,” her eyes softened and she blinked back tears.

“Grandma?” he asked, peeking out from behind Furihata.

“Yes, I…I’m your grandmother,” she reached out for him, but then brought her hand back to her chest when Kyou buried his face in Furihata’s side.

“I’m sorry, Umemiya-san,” Akashi apologized for him.  “I’m not sure if you’ve been informed, but Kyou has no memory of his life from before the accident.”

“It’s quite all right,” she cleared her throat, blinking wet eyes.  “He wouldn’t know me, even if he had his memories.”

Furihata looked up at that.  Had Kyou never met his grandmother?

“I think it’s best if I explain,” she sat back down.  Her lawyer, who was standing behind her, didn’t move.  Akashi motioned for Furihata and Kyou to join them.  They sat beside the redhead.  “I loved my son very much,” she said, sniffing and pulling out a handkerchief from her purse.  “But, four years ago, we had a falling out,” she dabbed her eyes.  “So, this is the first time I’m seeing Kyou in person.”

“You…” Kyou spoke and they turned to look at him where he was partially hidden behind Furihata on the couch.  “You and Daddy had a fight?” he asked, amber eyes on her own matching pair.

“Yes,” she admitted and gave him a watery smile.  “A silly fight,” she shook her head.  “You see, Grandma didn’t approve of your daddy marrying your mommy,” she said.  “Because your grandfather had already passed away and your daddy was supposed to take over the business, I was tasked with finding him a suitable bride,” she paused as though she realized her words might confuse a four-year-old.  “Your daddy was supposed to marry someone else.”

“But Daddy loved Mommy,” Kyou moved a bit so he was facing fully toward her.  “And Mommy was going to have me, right?”

Akashi and Furihata looked over at him in surprise.  He’d never talked that much about his past before.

“That’s right,” Umemiya-san nodded.

“Daddy loved Mommy very much,” he went on.  “But he still loved Grandma, too.”

“That’s sweet, Kyou, but you don’t kno-”

“We had a big picture of Grandma and Grandpa with a little Daddy in the family room,” he said.  “Daddy called it his favorite por…portray…um,” he looked down, embarrassed.

“Portrait?” Akashi offered and Kyou nodded.

“He…kept that?” his grandmother blinked and more tears spilled down her cheeks.

Kyou stood up and cautiously walked over to her.  He reached forward and touched her cheek.

“Don’t cry, Grandma,” he smiled.  “In your portrait, you were always smiling.”  She gave a watery laugh and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief.

“I suppose you’re right,” she sniffled.  “Kyou, do you remember what happened to your Mommy and Daddy?”

Furihata wanted to stand up and tell her to stop.  He knew she was asking because she didn’t know if he’d been told about his parents’ death.  But it was too cruel to ask that now, when he was being taken from his home.  But, the brunet stopped when he felt Akashi’s hand on his.

“Sei?” he whispered, looking over at him.

“Let him,” the redhead whispered back, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Me and Mommy and Daddy went for a drive,” he said, staring down at his shoes.  “I remember a big light and then it was raining inside the car.”

“A truck ran their car off the road,” Umemiya-san explained for him.

“My head hurt,” he subconsciously reached up and touched his scar.  “And I remember Mommy telling me to get out and she said someone would help,” he frowned.

“The paramedics that picked him up determined that he’d walked three miles from the scene of the accident,” his grandmother said.  “That’s why they didn’t realize he was the missing child from the car.”

Furihata wanted nothing more than to rush forward and hug Kyou, but he waited, clutching his husband’s hand.

“I know Mommy and Daddy are in heaven,” Kyou said.  “I…remember now.”  He lowered his hand from his head and balled it into a fist.  “I know you’re Daddy’s Mommy, but I don’t want to go with you.”

“Kyou,” Furihata’s eyes widened.

“Kouki and Sei are my family now,” he said.  “I want to stay with them.”

“Umemiya-san, please understand, we didn’t ask him to-” Akashi began, but the woman cut him off, holding a hand up.

“Perhaps I wasn’t clear in my phone call earlier and, for that, I apologize,” she motioned for her lawyer to step closer.  “I have no intention of taking Kyou away from you.”

“Pardon?”  Furihata and Akashi were taken aback.

“I’ve made enough selfish mistakes in my life,” she gave a sad smile.  “When I spoke with the woman from the orphanage, she told me how happy Kyou was,” she began, “And how he was thriving under your care.”

“Umemiya-san is prepared to sign over her parental rights,” her lawyer spoke for the first time since Furihata had entered the room.  “She asks for visitation one weekend a month and on every other major holiday.”

“You see,” she reached forward again, “Kyou is all I have left of my son.”  Kyou threw himself at her then, wrapping his arms around her waist in a tight hug.

“Don’t cry again, Grandma!” he shouted.  “You can come over all the time,” he pulled back.  “I’ll show you my room and the tree where Kouki reads to me and the basketball court where Sei taught me how to-” he stopped then, looking over his shoulder, “Is that okay, Sei?”

“Of course,” Akashi broke out of his stupor.  “Of course, Umemiya is welcome to visit any time she’d like.”

“I thank you,” she motioned to her lawyer, who produced a file folder with the necessary paperwork.  “Now, let’s sign before I start crying again,” she smiled and blinked in surprise when Kyou hopped up and sat beside her on the couch.

Furihata felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.  Kyou wasn’t going anywhere.  He was going to stay with them and, with just a few signatures, he could be their son, legally.

Kyou’s grandmother was about to sign, when someone else walked into the room.

“I’m sorry, I’m late,” Akashi’s father panted.  “I came straight from work, but there was traffic on-”

“Masaomi?” Umemiya-san looked up at him in surprise.  “Masaomi, is that you?”

“Misaki?” he stood up straighter and then smiled.  “I don’t think I’ve seen you in-”

“Oh, don’t say it,” she laughed.  “I’d hate to admit my age.”

“Even so,” he strode over to her.  “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Neither have you,” she offered.  “Maybe a little gray here and there,” she chortled.

“I think it suits me,” he said and then looked over at the boy seated beside her.  “So, you’re Kyou’s grandmother?”

“I am,” she replied.  “When I heard that the Akashis wanted to adopt him, I didn’t think that they meant you.”

“Well, my son,” he gestured over to him.  “He and his husband are fine parents, I assure you.”

“You don’t have to convince me,” she smiled.  “I’m not here to take Kyou away.”

“Yeah, Grandpa,” Kyou beamed.  “Grandma is going to let Kouki and Sei adopt me!”

“Well, that _is_ good news,” Masaomi ruffled the boy’s hair.  “Please allow me to introduce my son, Seijuurou and his husband, Kouki.”

Furihata stood, probably too quickly, and bowed.  Akashi followed suit, though at a much calmer pace.

“My, he looks so much like Shiori,” she smiled at Akashi.  “I’m sorry again for your loss,” she frowned. “She was a beautiful and wonderful woman.”

“I know,” he sighed fondly.  “But, you needn’t apologize,” he said.  “That was years ago and you are no stranger to loss.”

“Yes, it seems riches matter little in the grand scheme of things,” she shook her head.

“I’ve learned that family is more important than money or status,” Masaomi said, puffing his chest out with pride.  “My son taught me that.”

“He’s a wise man,” she looked over at Akashi.

“I can’t take all the credit,” Akashi squeezed Furihata’s hand.

“No, Sei, I didn’t really-” Furihata blushed.

“It seems I’m leaving my grandson in good hands,” Misaki said.

“The best,” Masaomi agreed.

“Umemiya-san,” her lawyer interrupted.  “The paperwork?”

“Yes, of course,” she picked her pen back up and began to sign.

When it was all over, she bowed, thanking them for taking care of Kyou.

“You’ll be a good boy for the Akashis, won’t you?” she asked him, kneeling down so they were at the same level.

“Yes, Grandma,” he grinned.

“That’s my boy,” she kissed his forehead and stood back up.  “It was good to see you again, Masaomi,” she held her hand out and he took it.

“The pleasure was all mine,” he brought her hand to his lips.

“Hey,” Kyou looked up at Furihata and Akashi.  “If Grandpa doesn’t have a wife and Grandma doesn’t have a husband…why don’t they get married?”

“Well, that’s…” Akashi began, chuckling.

Furihata looked over and, for the first time in the years he’d known him, he saw his father-in-law blush.

“That would make us a pretty big family, huh?” the brunet said.

“Yeah!” Kyou cheered and they all laughed.

That night, after they’d tucked Kyou into bed, Akashi and Furihata stayed in his room a little longer, watching as he slept.

“He’s still here,” Furihata breathed, leaning his head on his husband’s shoulder.

“Yes, and he’s not going anywhere,” the redhead turned and kissed his temple.

“Sei, we can adopt him,” he swallowed, trying desperately not to start crying again.  He’d cried enough.  Even if these _were_ happy tears.  “He’ll be our son.”

“Kouki,” his husband held him close, nuzzling his hair.  “He already is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's happened. Everyone's gotten their happy ending. Well, almost everyone...
> 
> One chapter to go! It's been a wild ride!


	35. The Party (Final)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of Great Expectations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I can't believe it's over. I know I was going to go deeper into some of the relationships, but I never got the chance. I _am_ thinking about writing more, when the kids are older. But, we'll see.
> 
> This takes place four months after the last chapter.  
> And here are the children's ages, if you were wondering:  
> AkaFuri - Kyou - 5 yr  
> MidoTaka - Korogi - 3 yr  
> MuraHimu - Tatsumi - 2 yr  
> AoKise - Tetsuya #3 - 18 mo  
> KagaKuro - Hikari - 9 mo  
> KagaKuro - Alexander - 9 mo  
> KiyoHyuuRiko - Yoshimasa* - Almost 2
> 
> Thanks to indevan for being my beta and helping me come up with a lot of the chapters, including the final installment.
> 
>  **I know I was going on and on about giving Momoi her happy ending. I thought about all the different people she could end up with and I jokingly suggested the last person I ever thought she'd marry. But, the more indevan and I thought about it, the more he HAD to be the one. I hope you guys like it and don't take it too seriously.** (Warning: Aomine uses colorful language)
> 
> *yes, I named KiyoHyuuRiko's son after Hyuuga's voice actor.

“Sei, do I have to wear this?” Kyou frowned, fiddling with his bowtie.

“It’s your first official party as an Akashi,” his adoptive father batted his hands away and straightened his tie.  “Just let Grandpa get a good look at you and then you can take it off once he’s distracted.”

“Somehow I feel like you’re speaking from experience.” Furihata snickered at his husband and brushed their son’s bangs out of his eyes.  “Hmm, these are getting a little long.”

“I can-”

“Don’t even suggest it,” Furihata shot him a glare.

“-call to set up an appointment for him,” Akashi finished lamely.  “Honestly, Kouki, it’s been ten years…”

“What’s Sei talking about, Kouki?” Kyou asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Ancient history,” the brunet smiled down at him.  “Are you ready?”

“I think so,” the five-year-old pulled at his collar.  “Will there be cake?”

“Every flavor imaginable,” Akashi ruffled his hair before turning to face Furihata.  “Dad didn’t know which one was his favorite.”

“And I suppose simply asking was out of the realm of possibility,” Furihata chuckled, knowing how ridiculous his father-in-law could be.

“That and he said he tried so many flavors that he thought Kyou would like at their tasting,” the redhead replied.  “I still can’t believe they’re getting-”

“Akashi-sama,” Suzuki walked in and bowed.  “The Midorimas are here.”

“Already?” Furihata knitted his brows together.  They hadn’t even gotten a chance to make sure the ballroom was ready, let alone the games and activities out in the backyard.  “Can’t be helped,” he sighed.  “Shall we go greet our guests, Kyou?”

“Okay,” he smiled and took their hands as they walked out of his room and to the party.

The ballroom at their cottage was significantly smaller than the one in the Akashi main house.  But it was plenty big enough for their gathering.  They also had a large tent outside with all sorts of things set up for the children to play.  Of course, Masaomi wouldn’t listen when Akashi and Furihata told him that the babies were too young for pony rides and an obstacle course.

When they walked into the room, Midorima and Takao were already standing inside.  Korogi, their daughter, popped out from behind Takao’s legs and ran over to Kyou.

“Kyou-chan!” she beamed up at him and grabbed his hands in hers.

“Hi, Korogi-chan,” he returned the gesture with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“Aww, look at those two lovebirds,” Takao brought his hands to his cheeks.

“Kazu, please,” Midorima said with a frown, his eyes closed and brow furrowed.

“You’re right, Shin-chan."  His husband leaned heavily on his shoulder, nearly knocking the model airplane out of his hand.  “They’re much too young.”

“Yeah, maybe someday,” Furihata chuckled awkwardly, still not sure how to act around the lively Takao.

“No, never,” the bespectacled man opened his eyes and then immediately narrowed them.

“Are you saying our son isn’t a suitable match for your daughter?” Akashi asked, smile never faltering as a dark aura appeared around him.

“Not just your son,” Midorima turned toward him.  “Any man.”

“Shin-chan…”

“Korogi will live with us forever and never kiss any boys.”

“Daddy!” Korogi whined, embarrassed.

“Sorry,” Takao apologized for him.  “He’s been like this ever since Korogi watched _The Frog Prince_ DVD she got for her third birthday,” he sighed.  “She stood up and proclaimed that she’d never kiss a frog. Only boys,” he snickered.  “Poor Shin-chan’s been a wreck ever since.”

“Kyou,” Furihata turned toward their son.  “Why don’t you take Korogi out back and show her the ponies Grandpa rented for the party.”

“Bought,” Akashi corrected him and the brunet gave a resigned sigh.

“Okay,” he took her hand and started to walk off, but Midorima stopped them.

“Korogi…” the green-haired man cautioned.  Korogi reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a flat stone with a bird carved into it.

“I’ve got it."  She smiled at her father and then let Kyou walk her toward the French doors at the back of the ballroom

“What _is_ that?” Kyou asked her.

“My lucky item.”

And then the two were gone, Suzuki having escorted them toward the outdoor festivities.

“Ah, we’re not the first guests to arrive.”  The four turned when they heard a familiar voice.  “The place looks great, Sei-chan,” Mibuchi walked over and pulled the redhead into a hug.  “And Kou-chan, you’re looking well,” he gave Furihata the same treatment.

“Thank you for coming,” the brunet pulled back and cleared his throat.

“Well, I couldn’t wait to meet little Kyou,” he gushed.  “You know, Ei-chan and I have been talking about starting a little family of our own, haven’t we, Dear?” he wrapped his arms around one his husband’s, resting his head on his massive shoulder.

“Uh, yeah,” Nebuya scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

“We were going to use a surrogate, but when you told me about all those children at the orphanage, I knew we just _had_ to adopt,” Mibuchi went on, fluttering his eyelashes.  “Besides, we want a big family, right, Ei-chan?”

“I grew up with three older brothers, so it’s kind of weird living in such a quiet house,” the larger man admitted.  “Ya know, when Reo isn’t traipsing around singing.”

“I don’t traipse,” he pouted up at him.  “And where did you learn that word?”

“The brain is a muscle, you know.”

“No, it’s not.”

While they were arguing over the manner in which Michuchi moved while he sang in their house – in the nude, Furihata later learned – more guests arrived.

“Congratulations, Furi!” Fukuda and Kawahara tackled him.  “I can’t believe you’re a father,” the first sighed.

“A before us,” Kawahara shook his head.

“It isn’t a race,” Furihata laughed.  “You’re not even married.”

“Yeah, well-” Fukuda began, but was interrupted by their ex-coach.

“How are you loving parenthood so far?” Riko slapped him hard on the back.

“Ah, it’s great,” Furihata replied with a wince.

“Hey, you haven’t met Yoshimasa yet, have you?” she turned and waved to two more of his ex-teammates.  “Teppei, Junpei, bring Yoshi!” she called.  Kiyoshi happily walked over, holding a small boy in his arms.  Hyuuga followed behind, heavily laden with at least two diaper bags and a few gifts, complaining that he was the only one carrying anything.

“Hello, Furi,” Kiyoshi greeted him and Hyuuga begrudgingly echoed.

“Did the whole team come?” Furihata asked, trying not to get too excited.  It was just that he hadn’t seen any of the Seirin guys since his wedding.

“Yeah, they’re already raiding the buffet table,” Riko hooked an arm around Furihata’s neck and dragged him over to see everyone.

“They’re a lively bunch,” Mibuchi mused, bringing a finger to his lips.

“Yes,” Akashi agreed.  “Speaking of, Hayama never responded to my invitation,” he paused.  “Do you know if he’ll be in attendance?”

“Actually, I think I see him over there,” Nebuya pointed to where the ex-Seirin team members were taking turns hugging Furihata.  At the moment, Koganei had him in a choke hold and was mussing his hair.

“Ah, so he came as Shun-chan’s plus one,” Mibuchi deduced.

“Shun-chan?” Akashi asked, not recognizing the name.

“Izuki Shun,” he clarified.  “Oh, Sei-chan, don’t tell me you didn’t know they were an item!” he put a hand over his heart, looking scandalized.

“I supposed I haven’t been keeping up with his personal affairs,” the redhead looked over and saw his energetic ex-teammate wrap an arm around Izuki’s waist and pull him close.

“Yes, he wasn’t the only one to be bitten by the Seirin bug,” Mibuchi winked at him.  “But, anyway,” he changed the subject.  “I’m really happy for you and Kou-chan.”

“Yeah, you two will make great parents,” Nebuya added.

Akashi smiled as he watched Furihata carefully take the nearly two-year-old Yoshimasa into his arms when Kiyoshi handed him over.  The brunet immediately started showing him around, pointing up at the balloons and entertaining the little tyke.

“I’m so thankful Kyou found us,” Akashi said, eyes never leaving his husband.  “But part of me still wants to give Kouki a baby.”

“Well, you’re both young,” Mibuchi slapped him on the back. “I’m sure The Great Akashi Seijuurou will think of something,” he bumped him with his hip.

Just then, Akashi noticed two more familiar faces enter the ballroom.

“I’d better go greet them,” Akashi gestured toward the buffet.  “Please enjoy the party.”

“All right, go off and play host,” Mibuchi huffed, but then smiled good-naturedly.  “C’mon, Ei-chan, let’s get you a plate before you start eating straight off the table.”

Akashi made his way over to the door where Kagami and Kuroko had just walked in.

“Kuroko, Kagami,” he greeted them.  “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“We would not have missed it for the world, Akashi-kun,” Kuroko bowed.

“You must be tired from your flight,” Akashi offered.  “It’s a long one. How did the children fare?” he asked and then blinked.  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you only brought Hikari with you.”

“No, Alexander is here,” Kuroko, who was holding a sleeping Hikari in his arms turned toward Kagami.  The taller man held the small boy forward.

“I see he takes after you, Kuroko,” Akashi side-eyed him.  “Would you like to put them down for a nap?”

“That’d be great, actually,” Kagami shifted Alexander to his other arm and shook out his hand.  “My arm was starting to fall asleep.”

“Sorry we took so long,” Himuro walked in, carrying Tatsumi in his arms.  “Atsushi fell asleep in the limo and I had trouble waking him.”  He cocked his head to the side and smiled, looking almost deadly.

“Those seats _were_ comfortable,” Kagami agreed.

“Tatsu-chiiiiin…” Murasakibara whined as he walked into the ballroom.  “You didn’t have to hit me.”  He rubbed his head and frowned.

“Yes, I did,” Himuro shot back.  “Though, maybe you wouldn’t have been so tired, if you hadn’t spent the entire ride over from the airport eating everything in the limo’s mini-fridge.”  He turned toward Akashi.  “We’ll pay for that, by the way.”

“No need,” Akashi waved his hand in dismissal.  “My, Tatsumi has gotten big.”

“She’s in the ninety-fifth percentile for height.”  Himuro puffed his chest out proudly.  “Two years old and she’s already taller than our neighbor’s kindergartener.”  He looked at their daughter.  “Say ‘hello’ to Mr. Akashi, Mimi.”

 “ _Nice to see you_ ,” she said in perfect English and then ducked her head down, hiding half her face behind her bangs.

“ _It is good to see you, as well_ ,” Akashi answered back.

“Aka-chin, where are the snacks?” Murasakibara asked, violet eyes searching the room.

“You just ate.” Himuro drew his brows down.  “I can’t keep having your pants taken out.”  He patted his husband’s stomach and then pinched the excess.

“Tatsu-chin is mean,” his husband glowered.

“More like Tatsuya is jetlagged and cranky,” Kagami whispered to Kuroko, who bit his lips.

“Why don’t you let the children nap and get yourselves something to eat at the buffet?” Akashi suggested.  As if they were waiting in the wings, three maids appeared to escort them to a quiet room for the babies.

“Go ahead,” Kuroko said to Kagami.

“I didn’t say-”

“Give Alexander to her and go the buffet.”  The shorter man rolled his eyes.  “I’ll join you after the twins are down.”

“You’re the best.” Kagami leaned down and kissed Kuroko on the cheek.

“Tatsu-chin-”

“Only because it’s easier this way,” Himuro said, not giving him a chance to finish.

“Tatsu-chin is the best, too.”  Murasakibara gripped his chin and turned his head, kissing him full on the lips.  “Thank you.”

“You’re lucky you’re hot.”  The dark-haired man glared and then bit his lip.  “Wait until I get you back to the hotel room…”

“Tatsuya-san, the children," Kuroko interrupted their public display.

“Yes, sorry, Tetsuya,” the older man apologized.  “Shall we?”  He followed after Kuroko, but not before giving his husband’s butt a quick squeeze.

“I think Tatsu-chin is going to eat me,” Muraskibara muttered as he joined Kagami at the buffet.

“Whaff ffadd?” Kagami looked up, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk.

“Ah, I thought I saw you two walk in.”  A tall man with light brown hair and surprisingly thick brows approached them.

“Kiyoshi-senpai,” Kagami greeted him.  “How are you?”

“Doing well.”  He smiled and turned toward the tallest of the three. “It’s good to see you again, Murasakibara.”

“Hn…”  He narrowed his eyes and grumbled a greeting before loading his plate.

“There you are, Sei,” Furihata grinned as he found his husband.  “It’s starting to get crowded.”

“Yes, it looks like almost everyone has arrived,” Akashi nodded.  As if on cue, Kise burst into the ballroom, slightly out of breath.

“Ah, Akashicchi, Furihatacchi."  He adjusted his son in his arms.  “I’m sorry we’re late.”

“You’re not late,” Furihata said, once again unsure what to say to the blond.  Kise was another one of his husband’s friends that he had trouble talking to.  It wasn’t like he was mean or anything, their personalities just clashed a bit.

“Still, I wanted to be the first ones here.” Kise pouted.  “But Aominecchi fell asleep in the hotel room and wouldn’t wake up.”

“I was tired,” Aomine grumbled as he joined them, scratching the back of his head.

“You slept until noon.”  The blond put his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, and we were up for almost thirty-six hours straight,” the tan man complained.

“You slept on the plane.”

“With an eighteen-month-old in my lap,” Aomine drew his brows down.

“But Tetsuya wanted to cuddle with Daddy,” Kise pouted and their son mimicked him.

“For fourteen hours?” the taller man griped.

“Don’t give me that,” Kise’s pout turned into a frustrated frown.  Tetsuya’s face changed, too, a chubby-cheeked glare directed at his father.  “You slept the entire day away while I packed for this trip.”

“I had a game the night before and-”

“Well, we should go and retrieve Kyou,” Akashi cleared his throat.  “It is his Welcome Home party after all.”  He ushered Furihata away and the brunet gave him a relieved smile, but the exchange went completely unnoticed by the bickering pair.

“And you never wake up with Tetsuya in the middle of the night-”

“Please, he’s been sleeping through the night for months,” Aomine countered.

“Well, I missed out on a lot of beauty sleep,” Kise drew his brows down.  “Do you think I can maintain this,” he gestured to his face, “without a solid nine hours every night?”

“Don’t even,” his husband rolled his eyes.  “You could never sleep again and still be drop-dead gorgeous.”  He’d probably meant it as an insult, but when Aomine saw Kise’s cheeks tint, he went with it.  “Shut up. You are.”

“Aominecchi…” The blond had tears welling in his eyes.  “Do you really-”

“Ki-chan?”

They both turned when they heard the familiar voice.

“Momocchi?” He wiped his tears away with his free hand and ran over to her, wrapping her in a tight one-armed hug.  She returned the hug eagerly and then took Tetsuya from him, giving the baby a kiss on the forehead before returning him to his father.  “You look fabulous!”  Kise said when he pulled back.  “Doesn’t she look fabulous, Aominecchi?”

Momoi and Kise – and even Tetsuya – turned toward him expectantly.

“Your tits are bigger again,” the tan man mused.

“Aominecchi!” Kise gasped.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.  “I thought she got them done. Right, Satsuki?”

“I didn’t…” She frowned at him.

“That’s so rude, Aominecchi.”  The blond swatted at him.  “I mean, how could you-” he stopped when he noticed something sparkling on her finger.  “Is that…a ring?!” Golden eyes were wide.  “Momocchi, when did you?”

“It’s a recent development,” she held her hands up in defense, the band on her finger glinting in the light.

“And you didn’t invite us?” Kise’s face crumpled and little Tetsuya’s changed to match.

“It was a small affair,” she offered.  “It was just us.”

“Just us?” Aomine repeated, crossing his arms over his chest.  “You eloped?”

“Please, I don’t want to hear it from the two of you.”  Momoi drew her brows down.

“At least we invited you to ours,” Kise argued.

“I told you. It was a recent development."  Her face softened.  “And, besides, something like this, you should tell someone in person.”

Just then, another man walked into the ballroom.  Someone they hadn’t seen in years.

“Hello, Aomine,” he greeted, his glasses catching the light.  “It’s good to see you again.”

“Imayoshi?” The taller man looked surprised.  “How the hell did you get invited?”

“I’m Satsuki’s plus one,” he answered, wrapping an arm around Momoi’s waist.

“No…” Aomine’s eyes went wide.  “You’re shitting me. _He’s_ the one you married?”

“When were you even dating, Momocchi?” Kise asked, just as shocked as his husband.  Well, perhaps no man could have been as shocked as Aomine in that moment.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly categorize it as ‘dating,’ per se,” Momoi offered with a chortle before she rested her head on Imayoshi’s shoulder.

“Okay.” Aomine eyed the older man’s hand on his best friend’s hip with disdain as he spoke.  “So, how did you go from…whatever the hell you were doing…to being married?”

“I wanted to get serious from the beginning, but Satsuki wanted to keep it casual,” Imayoshi explained and Kise didn’t miss the way Aomine’s eye twitched when the bespectacled man used Momoi’s first name.  “But,” Imayoshi continued.  “I lucked out in the end, I guess.”

“What do you mean, ‘lucked out’?” Kise cocked his head to the side, placing a hand on his husband’s arm in an attempt to calm him.

“Two percent,” Momoi answered with a slight shake of her head.  “There’s a two percent chance they won’t work. Did you know that?”

“Well, we used a lot of them,” Imayoshi smiled.  “The odds were good.”  Kise and Aomine watched as his free hand slid down to her abdomen.

Kise realized it first.  He remembered reading something about condoms only being ninety-eight percent effective even when used consistently and correctly.

“Odds were good for what?” Aomine frowned.  Kise looked over at his husband.  He obviously hadn’t put two and two together get.  The blond bit his lip and, against his better judgement, leaned over to whisper in Aomine’s ear.  Cobalt eyes nearly bugged out of his head.  He turned toward Imayoshi, glaring daggers.  “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Dai-chan, don’t!” Momoi stepped in front of her husband.  “Please don’t leave my child fatherless.”

“But Momocchi,” Kise held Aomine back with one hand, golden eyes pleading.  “Do you even like him?” he asked and then paused, turning toward Imayoshi.  “No offense.”

“None taken.” The older man waved his hand dismissively.

“Well, yeah,” Momoi took Imayoshi’s hand in hers.  “Even before I found out, I was starting to fall for Shouichi.”

They were silent for a moment, the only sound was a quite coo from Tetsuya.

“I guess, if you’re happy,” Kise looked at her and then flashed a bright smile at Imayoshi.  “Welcome to the family.”  Aomine didn’t say anything, so Kise elbowed him.

“Yeah, welcome…I guess…” He glared and then paused for a moment before adding, “Who’s Shouichi?”

At the front of the room, on a stage near the buffet table, Akashi, Furihata, and Kyou stood behind a microphone stand.

“Are you ready to welcome your guests, Kyou?” Akashi asked.

“Why can’t Sei do it?” The boy pouted up at his father.  “You’re better at it.”

“You were planning on making the announcement about your father’s upcoming wedding, anyway,” Furihata added.

“I suppose.” The redhead looked disappointed.  “But, after that, Kyou should at least thank everyone for coming.”

“Okay,” Kyou agreed, knowing he’d won.

“Attention, everyone,” Akashi spoke into the microphone and the room quieted down.  “I’d like to thank all of you for coming to our son’s party.”  A few people offered their congratulations before he continued.  “And we have another bit of good news we’d like to share,” he went on.  “My father invites you all to come and celebrate his-”

But Akashi never got to finish his announcement.

Aomine’s voice, though not particularly louder than his regular speaking volume, drifted over the silent room, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Three months?” He asked.  “You’ve known you were knocked up for three months and you didn’t tell us?”

Then the room erupted with cheers.

“Sacchin, I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

“Congratulations, Momoi.”

“Are you super fertile or something?”

“I’m happy for you, Momoi-san.”

“And you’re married? That’s great!”

“If you ever hurt Momoi, you’re going to have to deal with us.”

“We should have a party to celebrate.”

Akashi stood there and sighed.  This was apparently his fate.  Furihata put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Kyou,” Akashi sighed again.  “This always seems to happen.”

“That’s okay, Sei.” The five-year-old smiled up at him.  “But we can still eat the cake, right?”

Furihata chuckled and then Akashi joined in.

“Anything for you, son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over. And I'm both happy and sad.
> 
> As I mentioned before, I'm thinking about writing more. Maybe when the kids are in school or even older. Would anyone be interested in reading that? Well, it's on the back-burner for now, anyway.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me and supporting me as I wrote this. You've all been awesome and I appreciate every kudos and comment I've received. THANKS SO MUCH!!


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